After introducing one rupee rice scheme, the Congress Government in Karnataka is all out aiming at implementing its election manifesto promises ahead of general elections. The revised Budget presented in the Karnataka Assembly 2013-14 on Friday by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is the continued story of appeasing politics for election gains.
The Budget, as expected most populist, has an insight of the Congress Government looking ahead for an early elections. The Budget tried to woo farmers, women and backward classes.
Siddaramaiah announced loans to farmers at zero per cent up to Rs2 lakh and enhancement of creamy layer limit of backward classes by Rs1 lakh, as it sought to implement key election promises in less than two months into office.
The Chief Minister said it would be at the interest rate of one per cent for Rs2 lakh to Rs3 lakh from cooperative institutions.
The Budget had something to cheer for schoolgirls, women and transgenders. To encourage enrolment and attendance of girls in first standard in Government schools, Rs2 would be given to girls for each day’s attendance.
The Karnataka Government announced that scholarship and free education to students, whose parents are affected with HIV/leprosy, for higher education and also announced free 10 sanitary napkin pads would be provided to 32.50 lakh females.
A new scheme called “Manaswini” would be introduced to provide monthly pension of Rs500 to the unmarried women below poverty line who have crossed the age of 40 years and for divorced women below the poverty line.
A new scheme “Mythri” would be launched for providing monthly pension of Rs500 to transgenders.
According to the Budget, total receipts are estimated to be Rs1,20,717 crore during 2013-14, while the total expenditure is estimated to be Rs1,21,611 crore consisting of revenue expenditure of Rs97,391 crore and capital expenditure of Rs18,380 crore and debt repayment of Rs5,840 crore with revenue surplus is expected to be Rs596 crore.
Siddaramaiah, who has the distinction of presenting seven budgets in the past and kept the finance portfolio himself this time, announced that the creamy layer limit of backward classes would be enhanced from the existing Rs3.5 lakh to Rs4.5 lakh.