HDK's 2nd Budget on Feb 8 or 9

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said he would present the second Budget of the JD(S)-Congress coalition on February 8 or 9.

Addressing partymen on Thursday, Kumaraswamy also said he intended to repay the entire farm loan waiver amount he owes to banks at one go.

He said the date for Budget presentation is yet to be finalised. In a lighter vein, he said his brother and PWD Minister H D Revanna was yet to pick the “auspicious” date. “I want to present it on February 8. But Revanna has to check the calendar,” he jested.

“The Cabinet had taken a decision to repay the loan amount to all nationalised banks in four installments. I have now decided to repay Rs 46,000 crore at one go,” he said.

“The BJP, including Prime Minister Modi, has been attacking my government without verifying facts. The loan waiver being implemented by my government is a model scheme. It is true that I swore on my son that I will waive the loans, during my speech in Bagalkot. I did that because of the BJP’s continued negative publicity about the scheme,” he said.