No mid-term elections to Assembly: CM

“An early budget with pro-people scheme is being misinterpreted as indication for early polls. Let me make it clear that there is no question of dissolving the Assembly. Irrespective of who stays or goes, the government will complete its full term”, Yeddyurappa said in his reply to the budget discussions in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

In his two-hour speech, Yeddyurappa said the government would give more thrust to agriculture, rural development and the power sector in the days to come. Measures would taken to eliminate middlemen and ensure that the government’s programmes reach the beneficiaries without any “hurdles or interruptions”.

He said the government was contemplating purchasing coal blocks to ensure uninterrupted supply of coal to various thermal plants in the State.

Yeddyurappa claimed that the public finances were healthy and the State was much ahead of its neighbours in resources mobilisation and developmental indicators. He expressed confidence that the government would be in a position to raise Rs 2,000 crore by selling government land to mop up non-debt capital receipts.

The government plans to provide land for setting up a business park near the international airport in Devanahalli on a long term lease basis, Yeddyurappa said.

 Agri initiatives

- Rs 1,000 crore corpus for agriculture revolving fund every year
- Irrigation pumpsets to be replaced in DK and Udupi districts for energy efficiency
- Bhoo Chetana scheme, a soil enrichment initiative, to be extended to rain-fed areas
- Govt to open more markets for organic farming produce
- Tanks to be filled up to facilitate groundwater recharge
- Govt to execute work utilising Rs 100 crore special grants given to city  corporations