Yediyurappa to present his eighth Budget on Mar 8; focus on development works


Bengaluru, Mar 7 (IANS): Amid the Covid pandemic and its year-long fallout, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is set to present the state Budget for ensuing fiscal year 2021-22 in the Assembly on Monday, an official said on Sunday.

"Yediyurappa will present the Budget for 2021-22 on Monday afternoon as he also holds the finance portfolio. It will be the 8th time he presents the Budget and third during his present term as chief minister since July 2019," a state finance department official told IANS.

Since Yediyurappa took over the reins of the southern state as Chief Minister for the fourth time on July 26, 2019, he tabled in the House the state Budget then JD-S chief minister H.D Kumaraswamy presented on February 8, 2019 for fiscal 2019-20 and got it passed by voice-vote on July 29, 2019 to ensure continuity.

"The chief minister presented a full-fledged Budget of the ruling BJP government on March 5, 2020 for fiscal 2020-21 and it was passed before the pandemic hit the state in mid-March last year," the official recalled.

Putting behind the travails of the virus that disrupted normal life for nearly a year, the budget is expected to focus more on development works and women's welfare.

"The state Budget will give priority to development works and women's welfare. This is my assurance to all women in the state," said Yediyurappa a week ago at a public event at Soraba in his home district of Shivamogga.

The month-long Budget session of the state legislature which began on March 4, is expected to pass the Budget by this month-end for implementation from April 1.

The pandemic, however, stalled most of the development works though allocations were made in the Budget but could not be spent due to Covid-induced extended lockdown and restrictions to prevent the virus spread.

"Besides coronavirus, heavy rains and floods during the extended southwest monsoon in August-October also reduced tax collections and revenue mobilisation, as the economy was unlocked gradually and the new normal set in to check the infection," said the official.

The state government resorted to heavy borrowings and raised loans to augment resources for development works since November, as more funds were used in fighting the Covid war over the last 10 months.

With 9,54,393 positive cases till Friday since March 8, 2020 when the infection struck the state, Karnataka has been the third worst-hit Covid state after Maharashtra and Kerala, as 12,359 people succumbed to the virus.

"The state finances, especially tax and revenue have been badly hit, as Bengaluru, which contributes about 60 per cent to the gross state domestic product (GSDP), has been the epicentre of the virus, with over 4 lakh cases till date," lamented the official.

Yediyurappa presented a surplus Budget for fiscal 2020-21 despite Rs 11,887-crore reduction in central funds to the state for fiscal 2019-20.

 

  

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Comment on this article

  • sense_Shetty, Mangalore

    Mon, Mar 08 2021

    hopefully this will be his last

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  • j.anata, Mangaluru / Bengaluru

    Mon, Mar 08 2021

    fevicol of BJP in state

    DisAgree [2] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • VR, Udupi

    Mon, Mar 08 2021

    Mangaluru needs a light rail system covering from Konaji till Surathkal NITK and a half ring road from south of Ullal till Mulky. Growing city of Mangaluru needs infrastructure boost which has been neglected. Few north Indian tier II and III cities are getting ring roads. Hubli and Mysore getting better roads. And, need to put pressure to extend the current runway of the airport by another 2000+ using feet using concrete pillars with CATII or CAT III landing system, good cargo handling facilities besides expanding the terminal capacity and road connectivity. If the current airport is too expensive to expand, build a new airport nearby. With about 600+ acres, an international standard airport with 10,000+ feet runway is possible. AAI is acquiring too much land whenever it handles airports building projects. Hope, Adani airports can build better airports with fewer acres. For instance, San Jose International Airport in the USA (San Jose is the home of many Indian IT professionals) has just over 1000 acres, but has 2 parallel runways measuring 11,000 feet.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Mon, Mar 08 2021

    Any benefits for your Rapist Ministers ...

    DisAgree [1] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Yediyurappa to present his eighth Budget on Mar 8; focus on development works



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