Karnataka Budget 2022 updates: Rs 1,000 crore for Mekedatu Project, no hike in taxes

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who also holds the Finance position, delivered his first budget. He declared that he will not levy any new taxes on the average citizen or raise the sales tax on petrol or diesel.

Karnataka Budget 2022 updates key announcements highlights gcw

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Bengaluru, First Published Mar 4, 2022, 3:08 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 4, 2022, 3:27 PM IST

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who also holds the Finance position, on Friday delivered his first budget. He declared that he will not levy any new taxes on the average citizen or raise the sales tax on petrol or diesel. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai delivered the state budget for 2022-23 to the legislative assembly. The budget is about Rs 2.6 lakh crore. A total of Rs 1,000 crores has been set aside for the construction of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Bengaluru Drinking Water Project, which will be carried out by obtaining necessary permits from the Central Government.

Among other things, the CM said that temples under the Endowment Department will be allowed autonomy, which has been a long-standing desire. Meanwhile, a total of Rs 8,409 crore has been set aside for Bengaluru's holistic development.

Here are the key highlights of the budget:

A grant of Rs 1,500 crore has been set aside to create mega-storm water drains in Bengaluru in order to avert floods.
CM Basavaraj Bommai has indicated that he would not levy any new taxes on the general public or raise the tariff on petrol or diesel. He said that prices in Karnataka are lower than in other South Indian states.
A total of Rs 1,000 crores has been set aside for the construction of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Bengaluru Drinking Water Project, which will be carried out by obtaining necessary permits from the Central Government.
The government has said that heliports will be built at Madikeri, Chikkamagaluru, and Hampi under a Public-Private-Partnership model for Rs 30 crore.
The state government has chosen to build a 350-acre 'Atal Bihari Vaypayee park' in Yelahanka's Jarakanande region, modelled after Bengaluru's Lalbagh-Cubbon park.
The Karnataka government has set aside Rs 50 crore for programmes targeted at the growth of the state's Christian population. Furthermore, Rs 50 crores have been set aside for the Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist minorities.
The Budget said that many residential schools operating in a same location under various programmes of the Minority Welfare Department will be integrated.
The Karnataka government has chosen to build a 37-kilometer-long metro line between Sarjapura and Hebbal in Bengaluru through Agara, Koramangla, and Dairy Circle at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore.
CM Bommai has set aside Rs 33,700 crore for the agriculture sector.
A total of Rs 8,409 crore has been set aside for the development of Bengaluru, the state capital.
The CM has set aside Rs 55,657 crore to promote economic growth in the state. He has set aside Rs 186 crore for the construction of a greenfield airport in Raichur.
A skywalk will be built at Banashankari intersection in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 45 crore to connect the metro station to the bus stand and to ensure the safety of pedestrians and street vendors
According to the CM, work on linking Metro stations with Indian railway stations would begin at Whitefield, KR Puram, Byappanahalli, Yeshwantpur, Jnanabharathi, and Yelahanka at a cost of Rs 55 crore.
Mobile clinics would be created in Bidar, Chamarajanagara, Haveri, and Chikkamagalur districts under the "Mukyamantri Arogya Vahini" project at a cost of Rs 11 crore to deliver superior medical services at the doorsteps of rural residents.
Rs 500 crore would be earmarked for the construction of infrastructure in government schools across the state, with emphasis given to chosen aspirational talukas. A grant of Rs 1,000 crore would also be made available for furnishings in government high schools and pre-university institutes.
In key cities, Namma Clinics will be created. They will be created in all Bengaluru wards. These clinics will offer services such as noncommunicable illness screening and referral to experts for further treatment.
At a cost of Rs 15 crore, it is intended to generate Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) materials for 15 tourism destinations in the state. On a trial basis, this will be implemented at Mysuru Palace.