Siddaramaiah allocates Rs. 52,000 crore for implementing five guarantees
grants 45,000 crores for Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday presented Budget 2023 in the Karnataka Assembly and allocated a significant budget of Rs. 52,000 crore for the implementation of five key schemes promised by the Congress party during elections. Out of these schemes, the government has successfully rolled out the 'Shakti' and 'Gruha Jyothi' initiatives. The aim of these programs is to uplift the lives of the poor and provide them with essential resources and opportunities.
In particular, Siddaramaiah has allocated Rs. 45,000 crore exclusively for the development of Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka. This fund will be utilized for various projects such as the white topping of roads, road infrastructure enhancement, waste management systems, and the expansion of the Metro network. With the objective of improving traffic conditions and increasing Metro connectivity, an impressive sum of Rs. 30,000 crore has been allocated specifically for the Namma Metro project in Bengaluru.
The government has also announced a provision of Rs. 100 crore for the establishment and functioning of Indira canteens, which aim to provide affordable meals to the underprivileged sections of society. Additionally, in a commendable move, the government has introduced a life and accident insurance scheme worth Rs. 4 lakh for employees working in the e-commerce delivery sector, including those associated with platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, and Amazon.
In order to generate additional revenue for the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has increased the excise duty on Indian-made liquor by 20 percent. This includes a 10 percent hike in the excise duty on beer, raising it from 175 percent to 185 percent.
Addressing the opposition's criticism of the government's initiatives, Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of understanding the positive impact these schemes have on the lives of the state's impoverished citizens. He urged critics not to demean the people's welfare programs by labeling them as "freebies."
Siddaramaiah also expressed his disappointment with the Union government, accusing it of withholding the rightful share of taxes and recommended funds that should have been allocated to Karnataka under the 15th finance commission. He highlighted the issue of the Union government not sharing cess and surcharge with the states, resulting in a significant reduction in the tax share received by state governments. Siddaramaiah estimated that approximately Rs 5.20 lakh crore has been withheld by the Union government through cess and surcharge.
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FIR registered against Karnataka seer over his remarks on voting power to Muslims
Bengaluru (PTI): An FIR has been registered against Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji for his remarks on voting power to Muslims, police said on Friday.
He made the statement during a protest meeting organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh here on Tuesday against notices issued by Karnataka's Waqf board.
Urging everyone to unite to protect farmers and their land, Swamiji said that a law should be brought in where Muslims community don't have the voting power.
Stating that it should be ensured there is no Waqf board, he said someone taking away someone else's land is not "Dharma".
"...everyone should fight against injustice being caused to farmers...it is said that the Waqf board can claim anyone's land. It is a big injustice...someone taking away someone else's land is not Dharma... So, everyone should fight to ensure that farmers' land remains with them," the seer had said.
However, on Wednesday, Swamiji expressed regret over his statement, calling it a "slip of tongue".
He said Muslims are also citizens of this country, and they too have voting rights like others.
Based on the complaint by a social worker, the FIR was registered against him on Wednesday at Upparpet police station here, police said.
"We have registered a case against him (Swamiji) under section 299 (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita," a senior police officer said.
