What can you expect from HD Kumaraswamy's first budget?
JD(S) had promised to improve Karnataka's farmers' lives by waiving off loans among others. So what can you expect from CM Kumaraswamy's budget?
FollowJD(S) workers are all set to hold a special pooja so that their leader and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's first budget after taking office goes smoothly. Initially, Congress and JD(S) had differences on the tabling of a new full fledged budget for 2018-19Â since former CM Siddaramaiah had already presented the year's budget, they sorted their differences and decided to go ahead with the new budget.
JD(S) had promised to improve Karnataka's farmers' lives by waiving off loans among others. So what can you expect from CM Kumaraswamy's budget?
1) Plans are on to sanction at least Rs 30,000 crores for the loan waiver he promised to the farmers. JD(S) has always portrayed itself as a pro-farmer party and wants to maintain that image.
2) The CM plans on deferring the Raitha Belaku programme that was meant to benefit 70 lakh dry land farmers.
3) Kumaraswamy will also plug the misuse of subsidies on foodgrains being distributed to Above Poverty Line (APL) card families.
4) Kumaraswamy also plans on using Rs 7,400 crores from the Welfare Fund for Unorganised Workers. However, Supreme Court has directed the state not to divert the funds for any other purpose.
 5) Kumaraswamy spoke of a merger of BMTC and Namma Metro. This will act as a tremendous boost for the transportation sector in the city.
6) Bidar, Raichur and other industrial towns located at Northern Karnataka are all set to get a boost. This is to ensure that educated and skilled youth from this region do not have to migrate to Bengaluru or other big cities in search of work.
7) Although HD Kumaraswamy has prioritised farmer problems, he cannot afford to ignore Bengaluru and its infrastructural problems. The city contributes to 40% of the state's revenue. Neglecting the city and its woes may prove costly to HDK and the Congress-JD(S) coalition.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to express his confidence over the budget that will be presented by HD Kumaraswamy.
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On the eve of the Karnataka Budget, I’m confident our Congress-JDS coalition Govt will act on our commitment to waive farmer loans & to make farming more profitable.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 4, 2018
This budget is an opportunity for our Govt. to make Karnataka a beacon of hope for farmers all across India.
