Karnataka may slash education, health spends to fund Rs 75k-Cr Upper Krishna Project: Report
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government may be forced to cut spending on key sectors such as education, healthcare, and urban development in order to fund the ambitious Rs 75,000-crore Upper Krishna Project (UKP), according to an internal note from the state’s finance department, cited by Deccan Herald on Thursday.
The UKP will require an additional expenditure of Rs 75,000 crore over the next four years, roughly Rs 18,000 crore annually, based on new compensation rates approved by the Cabinet for acquisition of 1.33 lakh acres.
According to the internal note which DH said it reviewed, the finance department stated that money for the project could be raised by implementing a 20% cut in the Rs 80,197 crore developmental outlay (excluding ‘guarantee’ schemes and committed expenditure), which would free up Rs 16,039 crore. These cuts would impact department-wise allocations for education, health, urban development, and other sectors.
Alternatively, if developmental allocations are not reduced, the state may have to scale down some of its flagship initiatives. This includes revisiting allocations under the government’s ‘guarantee’ schemes and subsidies for irrigation pump sets. This year alone, Rs 51,034 crore has been allocated towards guarantee schemes. To bridge the gap, around Rs 15,000 crore could be redirected from these programs, the report added.
Under the UKP, the height of the Almatti Dam will be raised to irrigate 5.94 lakh hectares in Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Koppal and Gadag districts, making it a significant project for north Karnataka.
Fund cuts are the only way forward as resource mobilisation reportedly seems unviable. The finance department mentioned that Karnataka recorded a revenue shortfall of Rs 7,413 crore in the first five months of the current fiscal year. The state is also expected to lose Rs 6,000 crore due to GST rationalisation and an additional Rs 3,000 crore in mining tax revenue, as President Draupadi Murmu has not approved the enabling law.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Ex-PM Devegowda warns opposition of electoral losses if they continue to allege 'vote chori'
New Delhi (PTI): Former Prime Minister H D Devegowda on Monday said the Opposition parties would "suffer" if they continue to raise allegations of "vote chori" and create suspicion in the minds of voters by blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
Participating in a discussion on election reforms in the Rajya Sabha, he criticised the Opposition for making a mockery about the Prime Minister "in the streets and on the public platform".
"This (India) is a very big country. A large country. Congress may be in three states. Remember my friends please, by using the words 'vote chori' you are going to suffer in the coming days. You are not going to win the battle," Devegowda said, referring to the Opposition members.
He asked what the Opposition is going to earn by "blaming Narendra Modi's leadership and creating a suspicion in the mind of the voters" through the claims of "vote chori".
"What has happened to their minds? Let them rectify," Devegowda said.
ALSO READ: Search operation ends in Anjaw truck accident, 20 bodies recovered
The former prime minister said that during his over seven decades of public life, he has never raised such issues of vote theft despite facing defeat in elections.
He also cited a letter written by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru regarding inclusion of "18,000 votes" (voters) in Kerala.
"Why I am telling this (because) during the Nehru period also, there were certain lapses in the electoral system," said Devegowda, who was the prime minister between June 1, 1996 and April 21, 1997.
He said that the Congress party faced defeat in the recent Bihar elections despite raising the issues of mistakes in the electoral rolls.
"What happened after that even after so much review (of voters list). Think (for) yourself! You got six MLAs," the senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader said.
Devegowda questioned the Opposition as to why they want to make allegations against the prime minister on the issue of the voters list?
"Election Commission is there. Supreme Court is there. The Election Commission has given direction to all the state units to rectify all these things," he said.
Devegowda said people of the country have full confidence in Narendra Modi's government and it will come back to power after the next Lok Sabha elections as well.
K R Suresh Reddy, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party's Rajya Sabha member from Telangana, said that electoral reforms are the backbone for a healthy democracy.
He said a large and diverse nation like Indi needs clean electoral rolls.
Asserting that strict re-verification should not become a mechanism for exclusion, Reddy said no eligible voter should lose their right to vote simply because accessing paperwork is difficult.
He said while the concern definitely is on the voters' exclusion, "we should also be equally concerned about the percentage of voting."
"What is happening in voting today? Once the election ends, the drama begins. The biggest challenge that the Indian democracy has been facing in spite of two major Constitutional amendments has been the anti-defection. Anti-defection is the name of the game today, especially in smaller states, especially where the legislatures are small in number," Reddy said.
The senior BRS leader suggested creation of a parliamentary committee "which would constantly look into the defection" and "ways and means to cutting that".
AIADMK's M Thambidurai raised the issues related to election campaigning.
ALSO READ: National Herald case: Shivakumar to seek time next week to appear before Delhi police
"Election campaigns are one of the important election processes. In that, political parties must be given the proper chance to campaign," he said and cited problems faced by his party in Tamil Nadu in this regard.
Thambidurai said political parties were facing hardships in Tamil Nadu to conduct public meetings and to express their views to the public.
YSRCP's Yerram Venkata Subba Reddy stressed on bringing electoral reforms at both the state and national levels.
He also suggested replacing Electronic Voting Machines with paper ballots in all future elections.
"EVM may be efficient but can't be trusted. Paper ballot may not be efficient but can be trusted. You need trust in democracy," Reddy added.
