Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday presented the State Budget for the financial year 2023-24, the last of the BJP regime, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the State.
In his Budget speech, CM Bommai promised that a gigantic Ram Mandir will be constructed in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka and stated that Rs 1000 crore has been allocated for mutts and temples. In the next two years, comprehensive development and renovation of various Temples and Mutts will be undertaken by our Government with an expenditure of Rs. 1,000 crore, Bommai said.
Bommai also announced several mega road and suburban rail projects for Bengaluru to ease traffic snarls and prevent floods, promises that he has been making for the past several years.
Opposition MLAs called the budget an attempt to fool the people of the state and adorned a flower behind their ears in an act meant to symbolise this.
The budget is “short-sighted” and the chief minister should keep a copy of it in his showcase, KPCC chief DK Shivakumar said.
Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah termed the budget as paper not worth reading. A Rs 425 crore grant was allocated for the renovation of temples and mutts by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department in 2022-23. The Chief Minister claimed that this budget will help the state for another 25 years.
AIIMS hospital to be constructed in Raichur, the chief minister announced in the budget. A sum of Rs. 11,236 crore have been allocated for drinking water purposes. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai today presented his government last budget with an outlay of Rs 3.09 Lakh Crore.
Despite bumper collection in stamp duty, excise duty and revenue collection, the Chief Minister resisted a populist budget and instead to increase allocation to existing schemes. Intrest free short term loan to farmers increased from Rs 3 Lakh to Rs 5 Lakh, 25,000Cr to be distributed to more than 30 Lakh farmers, 10,000cr for additional subsidy for Kisan credit holders, Life insurance to 56 Lakh small and marginal farmers, Rs 1000Cr to Mahadayi project.