The State Budget for the financial year 2022-23 presented by Chief Minister and Finance Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday has received mixed reactions from political leaders and representatives of various organisations and professionals.
While the leaders of the ruling party, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former CM Jagadish Shettar have welcomed the Budget proposals wholeheartedly, Opposition leaders have expressed disappointment. The professionals have welcomed some and expressed disappointment over some demands not being met.
The president of Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) Vinay Javali and other office-bearers including Sandeep Bidasaria, Praveen Agadi, Shankar Koliwad and Seshagiri Kulkarni have said that the CM had tried to minimise the regional imbalance in the State Budget.
The office-bearers and members who watched the live telecast of the Budget at the KCCI premises said that there were announcements for North Karnataka region in the Budget, which were welcome and would facilitate development there.
However, they expressed disappointment over proposals pertaining to establishment of a new Industrial Estate in the region, solar park and special grant for INCOMEX Exhibition not being considered in the Budget.
Hopes dashed
Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya from Hubballi has said that the Chief Minister had dashed the hopes of the people of North Karnataka. There were no proposals for farmers’ development and nothing on industrial development of North Karnataka, he has said, terming the Budget as the one intended at pleasing everyone while keeping an eye on elections. However, he has welcomed the proposal to set up branch of Jayadeva Institute in Hubballi.
Dharwad District Secretary of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI-C) Ramanjanappa Aldalli termed the Budget as disappointing as there were no proposals to mitigate the sufferings of the COVID-19 pandemic-hit people of the State. The budget had more privatisation proposals which was meant to please capitalists, he has said.
R.R. Biradar of Department of Economics, Karnatak University, Dharwad, said that amidst the slow economic recovery and revenue constraints, the CM had announced a slew of measures focusing on the development of agriculture and allied activities, education, health, empowerment of women, weaker sections of the society and for facilitating inclusive growth.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi termed the Budget as one aimed at creating a new Karnataka. It aimed at taking the State towards the path of progress and had proposals that would facilitate overall development, he has said.
The former CM Jagadish Shettar has said that the Budget had written a preface to alleviating inequalities and regional imbalance and ensuring social justice. The CM had given impetus to development of North Karnataka in the Budget, he has said.
No new taxes
Chartered accountant N.A. Charantimath, termed the Budget a balanced one with no new taxes but growth-oriented schemes. The budgetary proposals would make the State progress at a faster pace, he has said.
Another chartered accountant Y.M. Khatavkar is happy over no new tax proposals in the Budget but unhappy over no reduction in professional and service taxes.
