Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who is also the Finance Minister presented an “all please State Budget for the year 2017-18” before the State goes to polls in 2018 on Wednesday.
The total estimated expenditure in the Budget has been pegged at Rs 1,86,561 crore and it is seen intentionally wooing Dalits, OBCs with populist schemes. Siddaramaiah known for his appeasement politics which is also evident in the budget has announced slew of measures aimed at the Congress vote base of backward castes, Dalits and minorities.
In an analogy of a sort to tipplers toes Siddaramaiah has removed vat on liquor. Apart from announcing free laptops to students of engineering and medical colleges also introduced a “Namma Canteen” borrowed on the lines of Amma Canteens in the neighboring state Tamil Nadu. These and more populist announcements strategically looked and aimed at ensuing polls in 2018 which is crucial for the Congress especially after the recent drubbing in the elections it had from the saffron party.
The total estimated expenditure in the Budget has been pegged at Rs 1,86,561 crore. The Rs 137 crore revenue surplus budget estimates revenue receipts to be around Rs 1,44, 892 crore and pegs revenue expenditure at Rs 1,44,755 crore. The fiscal deficit of the State is expected to be Rs 33,359 crore which is 2.61 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product and within fiscal discipline norms.