Siddaramaiah to present Karnataka budget on March 7
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, on Monday said that he will present the state budget for the year 2025-26 on March 7. This will be the 16th budget to be presented by him.
Speaking to reporters here, Siddaramaiah said, "The Assembly session will begin from March 3. As this will be the first session in the new year, the Governor will address the joint session of both houses of the state legislature on March 3. There will be discussion on the Governor's address on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (March 4, 5 and 6). On Friday (March 7), I will present the budget for 2025-26."
"After that there will be discussion on the budget, for which I will reply during the end of March. The Business Advisory Committee will decide as to how long the session should be held (the last date)," he said.
The chief minister who held a pre-budget consultative meeting with farmer leaders and representatives of farmers' organisation on Monday, said he has held similar discussions with various departments at his official residence for the last few days, despite his knee pain, and had come to Vidhana Soudha to meet farmer leaders, who had gathered in large numbers.
"Farmer leaders and representatives of various farmers' organisations have shared their inputs and opinions. Keeping them in mind, the budget will be prepared. We will include whatever possible within our limitations," he said, as he asserted that the government had never lagged behind in protecting the interest of farmers and in supporting the development of agriculture sector.
Responding to a question regarding huge expectations on him, due to the price rise, Siddaramaiah said, "Let's see, both Central and state governments should work towards addressing the issue of price rise. The Central government has more responsibility in this regard. We will do whatever is possible from us."
Siddaramaiah alleged that the Union government was not releasing its share of funds for Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Karnataka, in accordance with the speed at which the state is implementing the scheme.
Regarding the metro rail fare hike, he said, the fare fixation committee is appointed by the Union government. Though the committee is an autonomous body, it has two representatives appointed by the Centre and one by the state government.
"Metro rail is by both the Centre and state. We (state) may give a proposal for fixing the fare, but the fare fixation committee decides. The committee's chairman is also appointed by the Centre," he said.
To a question about complaints on non-payment of money to beneficiaries of Anna Bhagya (payment of cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household) and Gruha Lakshmi (providing Rs 2,000 per month to women head of families) schemes for the last few months, the CM said, there is no question of stopping any of these schemes. If the payment of money is delayed, it will be done at the earliest.
"I'm not aware it is pending for a couple of months. If not paid, will ensure it is paid," he said.
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Allahabad HC sets aside maintenance order in favour of earning wife, says she didn't tell truth
Prayagraj (PTI): The Allahabad High Court has set aside a lower court order mandating a man to pay maintenance to his estranged wife, observing that she earns her living and did not reveal the true salary in her affidavit.
Justice Madan Pal Singh also allowed a criminal revision petition filed by the man, Ankit Saha.
"A perusal of the impugned judgment indicates that in the affidavit filed before the trial court, the opposite party herself admitted that she is a post-graduate and a web designer by qualification. She is working as a senior sales coordinator in a company and getting a salary of Rs 34,000 per month," the court said in the December 3 order.
"But in her cross-examination, she has admitted that she was earning Rs 36,000 per month. Such an amount for a wife who has no other liability cannot be said to be meagre; whereas the man has the responsibility of maintaining his aged parents and other social obligations," it observed.
The high court observed that the woman was not entitled to get any maintenance from her husband "as she is an earning lady and able to maintain herself".
The man's counsel argued in court that the estranged wife did not reveal the whole truth in the affidavit.
"She claimed herself to be an illiterate and unemployed woman. When the document filed by the man was shown to her before the trial court, she admitted her income during cross-examination. Thus, it is clear that she did not come before the trial court with clean hands," the counsel submitted.
The court, in its order, said, "Cases of those litigants who have no regard for the truth and those who indulge in suppressing material facts need to be thrown out of the court."
It impugned the lower court's February 17 judgment and order, passed by the principal judge of a family court in Gautam Buddh Nagar and allowed the criminal revision petition filed by the man.
