Khader terms CM’s maiden budget ‘reverse gear budget’

Deputy Leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) and Mangalore MLA U T Khader termed the maiden budget presented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai as a ‘reverse gear budget.’

“The state budget will ensure that Karnataka will move backwards. The government is depending on loan and excise duty from liquor,” he told reporters in Mangaluru.

In the Rs 2.65 lakh crore budget, the government is depending on Rs 1.01 lakh crore from loan and excise duty on liquor. As an irrigation expert, the chief minister had earmarked Rs 26,000 crore for irrigation purposes. About Rs 17,000 crore is pending to be paid as bills in the irrigation department. With the remaining Rs 9,000 crore, what development works on irrigation can be initiated? he asked.

The budget has not given anything for the minorities and the unorganised sector. Though the BJP had promised to construct five lakh houses, it has failed to construct a single house for the poor in the last two years, he said.

Though the budget has announced schools in the name of Narayana Guru, it has failed to earmark funds for the Narayana Guru Study Chair at Mangalore University, which was set up to create awareness on the principles propagated by Narayana Guru and conduct research on it, he added.

The budget failed to announce anything for the coastal districts. For whom 100 deep-sea vessels were announced? he sought to know.

The government is politically and financially handicapped, he alleged.

The government has claimed it will conduct investment meet in the state. Who will come forward to invest when the law and order situation has deteriorated in the state? he asked.

Instead of investment meet, the government should hold harmony meet in the state, to bring back communal harmony in the society and send a message to the entire country, he added.