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.
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.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
