No mention of Social-educational survey in Karnataka Budget, state will junk it: BJP's Sunil Kumar claims

'The government spent Rs 500 crore. It’s been seven months. There wasn’t a single line on the survey in the budget or the Governor’s address', Kumar said.

Bengaluru: BJP lawmaker V Sunil Kumar on Monday predicted that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is likely to junk the Social and Educational Survey, conducted last year, as it found no mention in the 2026-27 Budget speech.

The survey was carried out in September-October 2025 by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes headed by Madhusudhan Naik.

“The government spent Rs 500 crore. It’s been seven months. There wasn’t a single line on the survey in the budget or the Governor’s address (to the legislature). The CM, who calls himself as the primary trustee of the tax money, should’ve said when the report will be tabled,” Kumar said in the Assembly during a discussion on the budget.

“The 2015 Kantharaj survey was thrown into the dustbin. The 2024 Jayaprakash Hegde report was thrown into the dustbin after infighting in Congress. The CM said the (Naik) survey will become the basis for budget-making. I don’t think the CM has that intention. I think a new dustbin awaits the Naik report,” the Karkala MLA said.

Kumar listed out issues which, he said, lacked harmony words and deeds: addressing regional imbalances and replacing NEP with SEP.

The former minister attacked the government over internal reservation for Scheduled Castes imbroglio. “About Rs 100 crore was spent on the Justice H N Nagmohan Das Commission. But the Cabinet decided something that wasn’t recommended by the commission. In and around Dakshina Kannada, there are Adi Dravidas who worship Sathya Saramani. The government hasn’t specified where they come under internal reservation, leaving them to compete with everyone,” he said.

Kumar said Siddaramaiah mentioned recruitment to fill 56,432 posts without allocating funds for this. "Where's the money? You've announced it only to placate job aspirants who were protesting. Aren't you lying?" he said.

During his speech, Kumar quoted Girish Karnad from his first play Yayati: “You can walk a path without light. How can I walk a path without dreams?” Kumar then said: “By making people depend more and more on subsidies, they’re being made to walk a dreamless path.”