Karnataka Budget 2023 Highlights: Govt to set up startup park near Bengaluru airport

CM Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said a state-of-the-art startup park would be established at a cost of Rs 30 crore near Kempegowda International Airport here. Presenting his government's last budget in the present term, he also said new industrial clusters will be established in nine places by Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation (KSSIDC).

. Chaitra, co-convenor of All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), Hassan district welcomed the state government for announcing various benefits for the students and claimed it to be a victory for them.

The free bus pass to students, construction of toilets at the government schools and free education for the students studying in government PU and degree colleges have brought cheers among the student fraternity, she said. But no announcement was made on establishing government engineering colleges in each district and other demands put forth by the students have not been fulfilled, she added.

. Farmer leader Sunanda Jayaram opined that the state budget presented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has no proposal to provide security to farmers. The farmers will turn into debtors if the loan availability slab is increased. The budget has not announced anything on price fixing for agricultural produce, hiking wages of the labour and also about the cold storage, Sundanda said.

. Development of junctions with high traffic, use of Artificial Intelligence for the management of traffic signals, construction of elevated roads are among the measures proposed in theKarnatakabudgetpresented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday to address the traffic woes of Bengaluru city. He also announced that Rs 300 crore will be provided for the re-construction of roads which need repair in the 110 villages included in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limit.

. Rs.1,000 crore for the Bengaluru Sub-urban Rail Project, has also been granted in state Budget.

. Construction of elevated road at a cost of Rs.350 crore from Tin Factory to Medahalli and construction of integrated flyover from Yeshwanthpur Railway Station to Mathikere and up to BEL road.

White topping of 120 km arterial road at a cost of Rs.100 crore and development of 300 km arterial-subarterial roads at a cost of Rs.450 crore, were also included in the Budget.

. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai showered a number of projects for Bengaluru, announcing a total outlay of Rs 9,698 crore in the state budget.

From reviving the controversial white-topping project and undertaking junction improvement works to promising Rs 1,000 crore for the sub-urban rail project and a special grant to mitigate climate change, the government promised grants to over 20 different projects.

. Karnataka Congress leaders -- Siddaramaiah, State President D.K. Shivakumar -- and all MLAs on Friday attended the budget session wearing flowers behind their ears.

In Kannada, wearing flowers behind one's ears symbolizes betrayal and fooling. On seeing them, Chief Minister Bommai got upset and said, "They are wearing flowers to the Assembly despite being asked to remove them. According to me it's not correct. It's their wish and I don't want to comment on it," he said.

Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah, he said, "All these days he was trying to put flowers on others' ears (fooling people). Now, the tables have turned. The people have kept flowers on his ears which will continue till the upcoming elections," Chief Minister Bommai stated.

. --The total Own Tax Revenue of the State for the year 2023-24 is estimated to be Rs1,64,653 crore. Rs11,000 crore is expected to be collected from Non-Tax Revenue. The State Government expects to receive Rs 37,252 crore by way of the share Central Taxes and Rs 13,005 crore in the form of grants from the Government of India. These Revenue Receipts are estimated to be supplemented by gross borrowings of Rs 77,750 crore, non-debt capital receipts of Rs 23 crore, and recovery of loans of Rs 228 crore. The total receipts are estimated to be Rs 3,03,910 crore during 2023-24.

--Total Expenditure is estimated to be Rs.3,09, 182 crore which includes Revenue Expenditure at Rs.2,25,507 crore, Capital Expenditure at Rs.61,234 crore and loan repayment at Rs.22,441 crore.

--For the first time in the State, post- COVID pandemic, Revenue Receipt are estimated to be more than the Revenue Expenditure by Rs.402 crore. This is a Revenue Surplus Budget.

--Fiscal deficits are expected to be Rs.60,581 crore, which is 2.60% GSDP. The total liabilities at the end of 2023-24 are estimated to be Rs.5,64,896 crore, which is 24.20 per cent of the GSDP.

"With this, I am happy to inform you that all the parameters specified in the Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2002 have been complied with," CM Bommai concluded the Budget 2023-24 speech.

. --Compared to the budget estimates of Rs.2,61,977 crore for the year 2022-23, a revised estimate is Rs.2,79,540 crore. Out of this, State's revenue mobilization efforts stand at Rs.2,12,360 crore which includes its own tax revenue collection includingGST compensation amounting to Rs. 1,54,431 crores.

-- As per the revised estimates, the total expenditure is Rs.2,89,653 crore. When compared to budget estimates at Rs.2,65,720 crore, it has increased by 9 %.

. --A new Karasamadhana Scheme proposed for collection of Excise arrears relating to Arrack / Toddy. Under this scheme, interest and penalty interest will be waived for those who make payment of basic amount relating to Arrack/Toddy rentals on or before 30.06.2023.

--The revenue collection target of Rs.29,000 crore was fixed for Excise Department for the year 2022-23 against which revenue collection of Rs.32,000 crore will be made. This will be 10% higher than the Budget Estimate.

--The revenue collection target for the Excise Department for the year 2023-24 is fixed at Rs.35,000 crore.

Transport

--The revenue collection target of Rs.8,007 crore was fixed for Transport Department for the year 2022-23 against which revenue collection of Rs.9,007 crore will be made. This will be 13% higher than the Budget Estimate.

--The revenue collection target for the Transport department for the year 2023-24 is fixed at Rs 10,500.

. --A rebate of 10% was given on the guidance value during the period 01.01.2022 to 31.03.2022, during this period 82,784 documents were registered and at revenue collection was at Rs.4,343 crore. This is a record revenue collection in a period of three months in the history of the State.

--Once again 10 % rebate in guidance value was extended from 24.04.2022 to 21.07.2022 during which period 1,73,937 documents were registered and the revenue collection is Rs.4,018.66 crore.

--The revenue collection target for the Stamps and Registration Department for the year 2022-23 was fixed at Rs. 15,000 crore, against which revenue collection of Rs. 17,000 crore will be made exceeding the target by year-end. This will be 13% higher than the Budget Estimate.

--The revenue collection target of Rs.19,000 crore is given to the Stamps and Registration department for the year 2023-24.

. --Karnataka has recorded the highest growth rate in GST collection amongst big States of the country. For the year 2022-23, the revenue collection target for Commercial Taxes Department was fixed at Rs.72,000 crore against which revenue collection of (excluding GST compensation) Rs.83,010 crore is achieved by January end. This is more than the Budget estimates by 15%.

--The State has received GST compensation of Rs. 10,548 crore and total collection including GST compensation will be Rs.93,558 crore by end of the year.

--The revenue collection BUDGET 2023-24 target for Commercial Taxes Department for the year 2023-24 is fixed at Rs. 92,000 crore (excluding GST compensation).

. --In the Anjanadri hill of Koppal district, known as the birthplace of lord Anjaneya, a detailed project has been formulated involving various works at an estimated cost of Rs100 crore to provide basic facilities to the tourists and a tender has been invited.

--The Central Government has agreed to relay the C.R.Z. guidelines which was the longstanding demand of the people of the Coastal region. In this background, policies will be framed to encourage religious adventure and environmentally friendly tourism.

--Approval has been provided for the comprehensive development of Chamundi Hill of Mysuru City under the 'PRASAD' programme of Central Tourism Ministry.

--Development of monuments of Hampi under 'Swadesh Darshan 2.0' programme and development of permanent facilities in the precincts of Karnataka Exhibition Authority of Mysuru has been sanctioned.

-- A majestic Rama Mandira will be constructed in Ramadevara Betta of Ramanagara.

--A tourist circuit will be commenced in this year consisting of the historical land marks of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the founder of Bengaluru city.

--Tourist facilities will be developed at Sooragondanakoppa of Davanagere district, the birth place of Saint Sevalal, at a cost of Rs.5 crore.

--The tomb of Shahaji Maharaj at Hodigere in Channagiri taluk of Davanagere district will be developed at a cost of Rs.5 crore and basic amenities will be provided.

--The 12th-century historical Nagareshwara temple with 101 pillars constructed in Bankapura of Haveri district will be developed as a tourist spot.

-- To encourage tourism in the Nandi Hill Station of Chikkaballapur district, construction works of the rope way under Public Private Partnership will be completed in the current year.

--As per the announcement made in the Budget, the incentive to 398 registered Tourist Guides operating in the State has been increased from Rs.2,000 from Rs.5,000. A total of Rs. 1.10 crore has been provided.

--The Vijaya Vittala temple and Purandara Mantapa of Hampi, Golgumbaz of Vijayapura, Bhoganandeshwara temple of Chikkaballapur district, the caves of Badami, the forts of Kittur and Bidar, which reflect the richness of the history and art of Karnataka, will be developed. Modern lighting facilities, 3-D projection mapping, Sound and Light Exhibitions will be provided in these places. Rs 60 crore will be provided for this in 2023-24.

. --Rural Sports Meets will be conducted from the village level to the State level to introduce and encourage rural and traditional sports like Kho-Kho, Wrestling, Kabaddi, Kambala, Bullock Cart race, and others to the children.

--One well-equipped Sports Court in every Gram Panchayat jurisdiction will be constructed under the NREGA scheme at a cost of Rs.5 crore.

--To encourage Youth talents of the State, Swami Vivekananda Yuva Prashasti will be given to five youth who have made exemplary achievements in various fields.

--Karnataka Olympic Dream Project Fund will be established at a cost of Rs.50 crore to provide exceptional training and equipment to ensure we bring more medals at Olympics and other international Sports. Under this project, sponsorship will be provided to young talented sportspersons between 12 and 19 years of age representing the Country at the international level.

. --The works of Cauvery Water Supply Scheme Stage-V have been undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs.5,550 crore with the financial assistance of JICA and these works will be 33% completed in the year 2023-24. Completion of 775 MLD capacity scheme will help in providing potable water to 50 lakh people in the city.

--Rs.200 crore financial assistance will be given to Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board from the state government for implementing the second phase of providing potable water to 110 villages coming under the purview of BBMP.

--At present, 1,850 MLD effluents is being produced in Bengaluru, out of which 1,500 MLD effluent treatment capacity has been created. A capacity of 350 MLD will be added to treat all the effluents in the city.

-- Construction works of four new effluent treatment plants with a total capacity of 440 MLD at a cost of Rs. 1,200 crores have been taken up under the Mega City Revolving Fund.

--Several actions will be taken for processing of waste produced in Bengaluru City. Auto tippers and compactors designed for collection of dry waste and wet waste in the same vehicle will be operationalised.

--For the processing of waste in the respective ward, a modern technology-based odourless waste processing unit will be established in each ward.

--Thrust will be given to process the waste locally by mandating the producers of the large quantity of waste including commercial complexes, hospitals and hotels to process the waste at their level itself.

. --At present, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Scheme is operational in 56 kms network. The works of the metro rail scheme connecting Central Silk Board Junction to Kempegowda International Airport of 58.19 kms length with 30 stations are under progress at a fast pace. It is planned to operationalise 40.15 KMs length metro route in the current year.

-- Third phase of works relating to the metro network has been proposed in the previous budget.

--A Detailed Project Report for two corridors of 44.65 KMs length with 31 stations has been submitted to the Central Government. The estimated cost is Rs.16,328 crore for this project. The works will be taken up after approval from the Government of India.

--Approval has been given by the State Government and Ministry of Railways for implementation of the Bengaluru Sub-urban Railway Project at a cost of Rs.15,767 crore which was the long-standing demand of residents of Bengaluru.

--The work of the first phase is already under progress and this project will be completed in the year 2024-25.

--Grants of Rs. 1,350 crore from the Central Government and Rs. 1,000 crore from the State Government will be provided in the current year.

--The work order for Bengaluru Sub-urban Railway Project between Chikkabanavara and Byappanahalli Corridor-2 Via-duct for Rs.860 crore has been issued and the works have been commenced.

--High Powered Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority is constituted in order to coordinate the operations of various transport agencies and to find out the scientific remedies to mitigate the traffic problems of the fast-developing Bengaluru city.

. --To reduce the traffic congestion in Bengaluru city, it is proposed to develop 75 important junctions with the highest traffic congestion at a cost of Rs.150 crore. As a supplement to this, traffic congestion will be reduced by using Artificial Intelligence for the management of traffic signals by adopting Seamless Signalling.

--Traffic congestion will be reduced by constructing a 5 km elevated road at a cost of Rs.350 crore from the Tin factory to Medahalli and the integrated flyover from Yeshwanthpur Railway Station to Mathikere and BEL Road and by providing direct access. This will be done by integrating it with the rail networking of Sub-urban Railway Corporation.

--White topping of 120 kms arterial roads in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs.1000 crore and 300 kms of Arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city will be developed at a cost of Rs.450 crore.

--Rs.300 crore will be provided for the re-construction of roads that need repair in the 110 villages included in the BBMP limit.

--For proper usage of Sir M Vishveshwaraiah Terminal at Byappanahalli, the access roads around the terminal will be comprehensively developed and it is proposed to take up the necessary works at a cost of Rs.300 crore to reduce the traffic congestion.

---To reduce the traffic congestion considerably, the construction of Satellite Town Ring Road of 288 KMs of length at a cost of Rs. 13,139 crore has been approved by the Government of India.The State Government has agreed to pay 30% of land acquisition cost required for this project.

. --Bengaluru is recognised as technology hubo the world. Our Government has given priority to improve the quality of lives of the people in a fast growing Benglauru city by ensuring seamless mobility, developing roads, prevention of floods by developing storm water drains and by designing scientific and efficient waste management system. Providing quality education and health facilities are also given focus by our Government.

--Under the Amrutha Nagarothana scheme, Rs. 6,000 crore worth of works are being implemented in Bengaluru city. Development of a total of 108 KMs roads is taken up under High-Density Corridors scheme at an estimated cost of Rs.273 crore. To ensure that there is a free flow of rainwater and to avoid flooding, Rs.1,813 crore has been provided to undertake the development of total of 195 KMs of drainage and culverts.

. ---In the year 2022-23 under various schemes, the development of State Highway with a road length of 818 km, district and other roads length of 1,093 km, and 135 bridges construction at a total cost of Rs.4,221 crore have been completed. 1,008 km length State Highway which completed its lifespan has been taken up for renovation at a cost of Rs.440 crore. By the end of March 2023, a State Highway road length of 948 km, district and other roads length of 1,364 km are proposed to be developed at a cost of Rs.3,720 crore.

-- The NDA Government, after coming to power at Centre in 2014 has completed 6,715 km ofNational Highways in Karnataka at a cost of Rs.64,512 crore to date. In continuation, it is proposed to develop 3,084 km of highways at a cost of one lakh twenty thousand crore rupees.

--Bengaluru-Chennai expressway costing Rs.5,486 crore, Bengaluru-Ramanagar- Mandya-Mysuru highway costing Rs.8,408 crore, Surat Chennai expressway costing Rs.4,544 crore, Hubballi-Dharawad six-lane road costing Rs.1,200 crore, Hubballi-Hosapete-Ballary-Andra Pradesh border highway costing Rs.2,200 crore, six lane Chitradurga-Davanagere-Haveri highway costing Rs.2,611 crore are included in this.

--Approval has been given to develop 92 km length of Mysuru-Kushalanagara 4 lane at a cost of Rs.4, 128 crore. --To prevent road accidents and to facilitate smooth traffic flow, 145 road safety block spot removal works have been completed at a cost of Rs. 124 crores through the Planning and Road Asset Management Centre.

--The repair and reconstruction works of departmental roads and bridges which got damaged by excess rainfall and flood have been undertaken at the cost of Rs.500 crore in the year 2022-23.

. -- Electricity connections to about 2.35 lakh un-electrified households at a Rs. 124 crore cost under 'Belaku' scheme. Also, the government will replace 1.37 lakhdefunct transformers and also install new 67,713 transformers, and electricity connections to 4,268 bore wells under Ganga Kalyana Yojane and various other people-friendly measures.

--Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy 2022-27' has been implemented with an aim to produce 10 GW capacity renewable energy. In the Global Investors Meet held last year, about 1.68 Lakh crore worth of MoU for renewable energy investment including Green Hydrogen has been signed.

----For uninterrupted transmission of power and to strengthen the transmission network, establishment of 16 new sub-stations, construction of 910 km of transmission lines and upgradation of 151 sub-stations have been completed in the year 2022-23. Further, in the current year, works for 50 new sub-stations, 1,060 Circuit km of transmission lines and augmentation of 100 existing sub-station works will be taken up with an investment of Rs.3000 crores by Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited.

--Modernisation of Generation Switchyard equipment and protection systems will be undertaken by Karnataka Power Corporation Limited at an estimated cost of Rs. 102 crores under the Central Government's Power System Development Fund Scheme- Phase-III.

. -- Expression of Interest has been invited toprestigious private organizations to buildIntegrated Townships in Mysuru, Chikkaballapura, Chithradurga, Haveri, Kolar, and Ramanagara under Public-Private- Partnership model. These Townships will give a new dimension to City planning and new Enterprises and will create better lifestyles and working environments.

---Taxi and Auto stands will be constructed in the name of the famous actor Late Shankarnag by identifying vacant sites in cities and towns.

. With seven cities have been selected in the State under Smart City Mission, Rs.5,900 crore has been released, out of which 506 works worth of Rs.4,157 crore have been completed.

--Water sources and ation and revival of water sources and other works will be undertaken under the centrally sponsored scheme 'Amruth 2.0'with a project cost of Rs.9,230 crore in 287 cities in the State. Under this scheme, tap connections will be provided to about 7.21 lakh households at the cost of Rs.6,820 crore in 185 cities and towns in the year 2023-24 by Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board.

---Approval has been given for constructing houses for 5,188 Pouranoukaras in the State out of which 3,733 houses have been completed. In the current year, under the 'Poura Asare' scheme, it is proposed to construct houses for 5,000 houseless Pouranoukaras at a cost of Rs.300 crore.

--In the jurisdiction of 196 Urban Local Bodies in the State, 179 lakh metric tons of legacy solid waste which has been collected in the last 10 years is proposed to be disposed within two years.

. "The government will develop a web portal for the adoption of stray dogs,"said, CM Bommai.Dog lovers can register themselves and adopt the animals.

. "It is the priority of our government to provide shelter to all. When the BJP Government came into power, 15.84 lakh houses were sanctioned by the previous Government without allocating any grants. Despite being hit by Covid, our government has provided Rs. 10, 173 crore for completing these houses," CM Bommai said.

"Our government, in addition to completing around 5 lakh houses, has given approval for the construction of 5 lakh new houses. In the current year, 5 lakh houses will be completed and a total of Rs.5,000 crore will be spent," said CM Bommai

In the current year, 20,000 houses will be completed in Bengaluru and will be handed over to the beneficiaries. Under this scheme, a transparent online system of choosing the house of choice by the beneficiaries themselves is being formulated.

"It is the priority of our Government to provide housing facilities to all houseless persons in the aspirational talukas. Priority will be given to providing housing facilities to more people through a saturation approach in these talukas, CM Bommai noted.

"Rs.500 crore is provided for this purpose in the current year and additional grants will be provided if required," CM Bommai added.

"Under the new scheme 'Namma Nele', one-third of the sites developed by the Karnataka Housing Board i.e, around 10,000 sites will be distributed to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS)," noted CM Bommai

. In a major relief to farmers and activists from Kolar and Chikkaballapur, the state government on Friday(February 17) announced that the treated sewage sent through K C Valley will be purified further.

Acquiescing to the farmer's demand pending for three years, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in his budget announced that the water will be processed through tertiary treatment before being pumped to the two districts.

. -- Action will be taken to provide housing facilities to the Safai Karmacharis through the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation.

---Increasing significantly compared to last year, Rs.795 crore will be provided in the current year to the various 6 development Corporations belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. Various schemes will be implemented at a total cost of Rs. 1,842 crore including the additional grants provided to the Corporations and the amounts already available with them.

--Free coaching will be provided to 10,000 youth belonging to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, and Minority Classes to enable them to get appointed as Agniveers in the Indian Army.

---In the year 2023-24, for the upliftment of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan, a total of Rs. 30,215 Crores has been provided.

---Rs. 21,343 crores have been provided for the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan and Rs. 8,872 Crores has been provided for the Tribe Sub Plan.

. In addition to 4000 new Child Care Centres in urban regions, the government will build 500 kindergartens will be started in rural areas.

And, the government will build 250 well-equipped 'She Toilets' in heavily populated markets, mega commercial complexes, etc of Bengaluru City. State-of-the-art design, including Toilets, feeding room, mobile charging, emergency SoS services etc. at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

"A total of Rs 46,278 crore has been provided in the budget for Women's Empowerment and Welfare. And, a total of Rs 47,256 crore has been provided for Child Welfare," noted CM Bommai

Also, the government has announced to provide free bus passesto all women working in the organized sector. Rs. 1,000 crore will be provided to this scheme which will benefit a total of 30 lakh women.

And, the decision has been taken to provide free bus passesto all school and college girl students of the state at a cost of Rs350 crore under the 'Vidhya Vahini' Scheme. Around eightlakh girl students will be benefitted from this scheme.

. To reduce traffic congestion in Bengaluru City, it is proposed to develop 75 important junctions with the highest traffic congestion at a cost of Rs150 crores. Traffic congestion will be reduced by using Artificial Intelligence for the management of traffic signals by adopting seamless signaling.

Rs 1,000 crore will be released for the white topping of 120 Km of arterial roads in Bengaluru. And,300 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city will be developed at a cost of Rs 450 crore.

. The monthly pension paid to the victims of the acid attack has already been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000. From this year, support for the construction of houses will be provided by Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation.

Further, interest-free loans will be provided for self-employment through the Women's Development Corporation. And,a special fund will also be create in WDC to provide support for health and legal assistance.

. CM Bommai announces Rs 500 crore to set up a new medical college in Chitradurga. Post graduate degree courses have been started at Mandya and Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences.

450 bedded hospital has been started in 2022-23 in Chamarajanagar to provide tertiary care services to the people. And, the construction of 450 bedded hospitals at Kodagu and Karwar which in progress will be completed in the current year.

Also, I have approved the construction of a hospital with 500-bed capacity at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institute of Bangalore.

. "Our government has provided a total of Rs 25,000 crore to the irrigation sector in the current year. And, a total grant of Rs 39,031 crore for agriculture and allied activities in the year 2023-24," said CM Bommai.

. The present government has taken the historic decision in respect of constituting a Tribunal for fixing uniform rates for land acquisition under phase-3 of UKP (Upper Krishna Project) that has been pending for the last several years. Rs 5000 crore will be released for speedy compensation to farmers and land owners, noted CM Bommai

. The state has also brought down the fiscal deficit to 2.6 percent of GSDP. As per the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the fiscal deficit needs to be below 3 per cent. The fiscaldeficit is expected to be Rs 60,581 crore, said CM Bommai

. Karnataka's Budget is Rs 3.09 lakh crore, with gross borrowings of Rs 77,750 crore, CM Bommai noted

In a first in the post-pandemic situation, CM Bommai presents a revenue surplus budget. Revenue receipts are estimated to be Rs 402 crore more than revenue expenditure.

Against a target of Rs 29,000 crore in revenue collection for the excise department, the state is expecting a revenue of Rs32,000 crore towards the end of this fiscal. The target for 2023-24 is fixed at Rs 35,000 crore, a 20 per cent increase from the previous year's target.

In a surplus revenue from stamps and registration, the government has collected Rs 17,000 crore against the target of Rs 15000 crore.

This is 13 per cent higher than the budget estimate. Presumably, the government's 10 percent rebate on guidance value has helped shore up the revenue, noted CM Bommai

. We have allocated funds to offer compensation to farmers, who suffered losses due to disease-affected Toor dal, Arecanut plantations, CM noted.

. Opposition leaders from Congress come with flowers on their ears, to symbolicallymockthe budget presented by CM Bommai.

CM Bommai retorts saying people know who has done injustice to them and that is why they are in the opposition and will remain in the same after the upcoming election.

. Bommai is also likely to make some big ticket announcements like welfare schemes and give push to infrastructure projects, with an eye on the Assembly election likely to be held in April-May.

. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who will be presenting the state budget on February 17 is saddled with the expectation of setting a strong poll narrative for hisparty through his budget speech, while not losing sight of the state's economic needs.Although the budget presented now is likelyto be replaced by a new government post the Assembly elections, BJP leaders are banking on this budget to flex their muscle and counter the on-ground campaigns of both Congress and the JD(S).

Karnataka Budget 2023 Highlights: Govt to set up startup park near Bengaluru airport

Govt to set up startup park near Bengaluru airport

Free bus pass to students, construction of toilets at government schools have brought cheers among student fraternity, says AIDSO co-convenor

Farmers will turn debtors if loan availability slab increased, says farmer leader Sunanda Jayaram

AI to be used for management of traffic signals in Bengaluru

250 “She Toilets” for women to be constructed in Bengaluru

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