JOIN USChief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who has been in office for 11 days, will soon start preparations for the new budget to be presented by the coalition government.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had presented a budget with a total outlay of Rs 2.10 lakh crore in February this year. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Saturday, Kumaraswamy said that the budget preparation work would begin in the next two to three days.
He reiterated that the coalition government would not junk the welfare schemes initiated by the previous Congress regime. “In addition to continuing the welfare schemes initiated by the previous government, the new budget will comprise new schemes and programmes,” he added. The chief minister also indicated that the government would shortly convene a joint legislature session.
The coalition partners had on Friday announced that a ‘common agenda for governance’ based on the manifestos of both parties would be prepared and presented before the people. Kumaraswamy also said that he would soon hold consultative meetings with legal, irrigation and engineering experts to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the Cauvery Management Authority (CMA), newly constituted by the Centre.
Referring to the gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Water Resources on the constitution of the CMA on Friday, Kumaraswamy said that suitable measures would be taken to safeguard the interest of the state.