Budget: Mixed response in Hassan

Even though 1,050 acres of land has been acquired for the establishment of an IIT in Hassan, almost one decade ago, the district does not figure in the list of IITs and IIMs in the Budget, presented before the Parliament, on Thursday.

The first budget of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has evoked mixed responses in the district.

Even as industrialists and salaried persons welcomed the Budget proposals, farmers and environmentalists said they expected a better Budget.

The long-pending demands of the people of the district for a research institute on potatoes and a project to give a fillip to cardamom crop have not been touched. Farmers said, the district was a pioneer in dairy farming, but there was nothing significant for the sector.

Environmentalist and Congress leader H P Mohan said, the Union government was concentrating only on development, and was neglecting ecology issues. There was nothing in the Budget, for not just the district, but for the whole State.

The MPs from the State had failed to draw the attention of the Finance Minister towards the problems of the State, he said.

Mohan said, an increase in the cap on farm loan to Rs 3 lakh and a decrease in the interest rate to three per cent had brought slight relief to farmers, however, the cap should have been increased to Rs 5 lakh.

He welcomed the increase in the funds for Gram Sadak scheme. However, higher subsidies for solar equipment would only benefit traders.

Instead, low-interest loans should have been extended to people to invest on solar equipment, he said.

Secretary of Hassan District Chamber of Commerce and Industries  T P Ranganath Gupta said, the demands of all people could not be met in just one budget. However, a higher limit for exemption in income tax would have helped the middle class people, he said.

BJP district unit president Renukumar said, it was a good Budget for senior citizens, industrialists and farmers.

Ryot leader Kanakanchehalli Prasanna Kumar said, there should have been a proposal to fix scientific price for agriculture produce.

Secretary of Dwarasamudra Lake Irrigation Association Suresh Shambu said, the Budget would help those who wished to buy houses and students opting for higher education.

R Vasudevamurthy, president of Holenarsipur Distributors Association, said, the Budget would help popularise electronic gadgets in rural areas also. But, Rs 100 crore for linking of rivers would not help much, he said.