BJP leaders have criticised the Budget while Congress leaders have welcomed it.
“The State budget is a bundle of lies. It is nothing but an attempt by the State government to show rich dreams to poor people,” Abhay Patil, MLA, said. The government has presented a Budget that has no direction. The State will achieve zero progress by this, he said.
Prabhakar Kore, former Rajya Sabha member, criticised it saying it does not protect the interests of farmers. “It will surely empty the State’s coffers as it focusses only on guarantees. It ignores industries and small and medium irrigation projects. It is aimed at diverting the attention of voters in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls. It is not a development-oriented Budget,” he said. “The Karnataka government should have built a pilgrims’ complex in Ayodhya for people who travel from here. That was not done. It is very disappointing,” the KLE Society chairman said.
Satish Jarkiholi, Minister for Public Works, welcomed the Budget saying it aimed at creating an equal society with universal welfare and creation of equal opportunities. The budget has touched the lives of all, he stressed. Sectors like education, social welfare, public works and rural development have got higher grants. These are per the principles advocated by Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
Setting up the Basavana Bagewadi Development Board, translation in to Kannada of works by Babu Jagajivan Ram, Periyar, Lohia and Narayan Guru are steps in the right direction. Grants for a flyover in Belagavi, a critical care block and a textile park in the district and the development of Gokak falls, are welcome steps, he said.
Laxmi Hebbalkar, Minister for Women and Child Development, said it was a pro-development budget. It is historic on many counts. It is constructive and complementary to the development of the State.
“CM Siddaramaiah has set aside ₹87,000 crore for the welfare and development of women and ₹55,000 crore for children. We thank him for agreeing to most of our demands. Schemes for providing mobile phones to 76,000 anganwadi workers at around ₹90 crore, new buildings at the cost of ₹200 crore, and additional grants to Belagavi, my home district and Udupi district where I am charge are all welcome steps,” she said.
Sri Chandrashekar Shivacharya, seer of Hukkeri Hiremath, welcomed the Budget. It has focused on the development of tourism and of pilgrimage centres like Saundatti Yallamma temple. These are welcome steps, he said.
