Bengaluru, Feb 1: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the Union Budget represented 'Ameer Ke Saath, Garib Ka Vinash' (Standing with the rich, destroying the poor) as the Centre continues its "anti-people" policies.

The Congress stalwart said there was no relief provided for the farmers and unemployed people who were battered by coronavirus.

"The budget for 2023-24 by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is a continuation of the 'Trouble-Engine' government's policy of 'Ameer Ke Saath, Garib Ka Vinash', which it had been following for the past eight years," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

The 'trouble engine' jibe was directed at the BJP, which often calls boasts of the 'double-engine' government in reference to the same party's government at the Centre as well as the state, which can potentially speed up development works.

The agriculture sector which contributes 54 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been completely ignored, Siddaramaiah said.

He charged that there is a reduction of Rs 8,468.21 crore in this year's budgetary allocation for the agriculture sector compared to last year.

"The government had promised to double the income of farmers, which it did not do but it could have waived off the farmers' loans, which too did not happen," the Congress leader said.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the statewide pulse polio vaccination drive on Sunday.

While Siddaramaiah kicked off the campaign along with state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Home Minister G Parameshwara at his residence 'Kaveri' here, Sitharaman, who is in Vijayanagara district in the state, holding Chintan Shivir, administered pulse polio drops to children below five years of age in Kamalapura.

"Smt @nsitharaman launched the Polio Immunisation Drive in Kamalapura, Karnataka, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to safeguarding child health and ensuring a polio-free India," a post on her 'X' account said.

The post further said that children under five years of age were administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops, "reinforcing the collective effort to protect future generations through timely immunisation."

According to the details shared by the health departments, about 62.4 lakh children have been identified for it.

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"Under the routine immunization programme, every Child is given 5 doses of OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) and 3 doses of IPV (inactivated injectable polio vaccine) and Government of Karnataka is committed that no child should miss these doses," a government statement said.

Apart from all hospitals in the state, special focus will be given to immunise children living in villages, hilly areas, brick kilns, slums, migrant areas, farmhouses, urban slums. Booths will also be set up in railway stations, metro stations, airports and Seaports, the statement said.

The state health department has set up 33,258 booths and deployed 1,030 mobile teams, 2,096 transit teams, 1,13,115 vaccinators and 7,322 Supervisors.

All children below five years of age will be administered the oral polio vaccine on December 21, 2025.

"Even if your child has received any number of doses of OPV before, it is very essential to immunise your child again during this round," the department said.

In order to allay concerns, the department said the polio vaccine is completely safe and people should not to believe in any false rumours.