Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Arvind Bellad on Thursday claimed that the State government’s five guarantees would discontinue after the Lok Sabha elections in April-May and the Finance Department had already flagged the financial difficulties being faced by the State by the implementation of the guarantees.
Speaking on the State Budget for 2024-25, Mr. Bellad claimed the department had proposed to exclude seven categories of people from the benefits of guarantees and they are: anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, government outsourcing and contract workers, guest teachers, and gram panchayat assistants.
The department had also recommended the exclusion of income tax payers, women filing GST returns, landholders of more than five acres of dry land, persons having an income of ₹1.2 lakh per year, four-wheel owners, government employees, and pensioners, Mr. Bellad said.
On liquor
He said the government had targeted to collect ₹38,525 crore from selling liquor in 2024-25 and nearly 85% of the poor people consume liquor by paying hefty taxes which would be used to implement the five guarantee schemes.
Mr. Bellad said 18 different taxes were imposed on different brands of liquor. On average, the government collects ₹32,500 taxes from the poor, which would be used to implement the guarantees.
The Budget had set aside a meagre ₹24 lakh for Dr. Gangubai Hanagal Gurukula in Hubbali which is on the verge of closure. Teachers of the gurukula had been leaving the institution over no-payment of salaries, the BJP leader said.
