Revised budget outlay increases by Rs 3,500 crore

Certain new announcements and the decision to continue popular schemes of the previous BJP government, have increased the total size of the revised budget 2013-14 presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by Rs 3,504 crore.

The government has secured permission from the State legislature to draw  Rs 1,25,115.92 crores from the consolidated fund of the State for the current fiscal year. A bill -- the Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2013 – was approved by both the Houses of the Legislature on Tuesday. The total outlay of the budget presented by Siddaramaiah on July 12 was Rs 1,21,611 crore.

Siddaramaiah in his reply on the budget discussion had announced to continue popular schemes such as Suvarna Grama, Nagarothana, Namma Grama-Namma Raste, Bhagyalakshmi, bicycle for school children and Bhoochetana of the previous BJP governments. Besides, he increased MLAs' fund from Rs one crore to Rs two crores. The Legislature also passed the Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2013, seeking to authorise the appropriation of money drawn from the consolidated fund of the State to meet certain services between 1989 and 2011.

The money was spent in excess of the amounts granted for those services.