Karnataka Budget 2022-23: Here is what all covered in the Budget
The Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai presented his Budget at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. He led a Cabinet meeting before the presentation where the State Budget 2022-23 got approved. The outlay of the Budget was Rs 2.6 lakh crore. The CM, who also keeps the portfolio of Finance Minister, presented his maiden Budget at the Karnataka Assembly. The 19-day session will end on March 30, leaving just a year for the Assembly polls, and this is probably the last full-fledged Budget ahead of the elections.
Notable points in the Karnataka Budget 2022-23
The buoyancy in Karnataka’s economy has enabled the State Government to cut down on budgeted borrowings in 2021-22. Compared to 2020-21, the budget size has increased by 7.7%. The budget expands, fiscal deficit of 3.26% with Rs 2, 65,720 Crore. Budget 2022-23 is 3.3% larger than the revised estimates of the 2021-22 budgets.
Punyakoti Dattu Yojana:
The scheme is presented to encourage public and private institutions to adopt cows in the Goshalas by paying 11,000 rupees annually. Further, the budget also indicates that it will increase Goshala numbers to 100 and has earmarked Rupees 50 Crore in the budget.
“For adequate implementation of Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and prevention of Cattle Act, 2020 the Goshalas are meant to be increased,” said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in his budget presentation.
The budget also has made provision of financial assistance to implement the conversion of waste generated in Goshalas in the State into eco-friendly products. Gomatha Sahakara Sangha’ will be established to promote cow produce, said CM Bommai.
Namma clinics in major cities:
Chief Minister announced 438 Namma Clinics. The objective of these clinics, according to him, is to provide healthcare services that reach the doorsteps of the urban population and plug critical gaps in the public health system. These will be set up in all wards of Bengaluru. These clinics offer services in detecting non-communicable diseases and referral to higher treatment.
The clinics, also known as ‘health and wellness centers,’ will be set up in 243 BBMP wards of Bengaluru and the other 195 across major cities of the state. “These centers are mainly being set up to ease detection of non-communicable diseases and also act as referral treatment to specialists.
Mekedatu - Bengaluru drinking water project:
Chief Minister has allotted Rs 1,000 crore for the Mekedatu project in the budget. Bommai speaking to media persons said “The Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Bengaluru Drinking Water Project will be executed by getting required permissions from the relevant authorities,”
The state government is confident of getting approvals for the project soon. “One last discussion is pending with the Cauvery Water Management Authority for the approval of the DPR. Once this is done, we will apply for environmental clearance. We are sure that we will begin the project this year,” Bommai added.
Language and Culture:
About Rs, 20 crores to be provided for organizing an all India Kannada literary discussion at Haveri to hearten the language and culture of the land, while talking about Language and Culture, CM Bommai took the name of poet Chennaveera Kanavi and expressed how we need to safeguard the literature and mentioned, "We must protect Nature." He also said new agendas are coming to protect the environment.
Tightened Prison Security:
To prevent the usage of mobiles and to inspect and detect other prohibited articles, state-of-the-art equipment and mobile jammers will be installed in prisons.
Airports and Heliports:
The airport at Raichur will be transformed into a Greenfield airport at Rs 186 crore. The feasibility report will also be supervised for Davangere and Koppal districts airports. The runway will be stretched at Mysore airport, and Heliports will be established at Madikeri, Chikmagalur, and Hampi.
Pancha Sutra:
Some Backward regions of Karnataka will be identified scientifically to enhance the Human Development Index of all districts under 'Pancha Sutra.'
Model universities:
New model universities will be set up in Chamarajanagar, Bidar, Haveri, Koppal, Hassan, Kodagu, and Bagalkot. They will be unlike conventional universities with an emphasis on harnessing technology.
Development of OBCs:
The State Government has dedicated Rs 400 crore to develop the various backward communities such as Tigala, Mali, Mali Malagara, Kumbara, Yadava, Devadiga, Simpi, Kshatriya, Medara, Kunchi, Kurma, Pinjara, Nadaf, Kuruba, Balija, Idiga, and Hadapada.
SC/ST women entrepreneurship:
To support entrepreneurship among SC/ST women, 25% of the self-employment and other programmes across all development corporations will be dedicated to women. Training programmes will be provided to 300 graduates from the SC/ST category through the IIM, Bangalore.
Widows’ Wage scheme:
The government proposed to increase subsidy for women under the Widows’ Wage scheme. Monthly pension for sexual minorities has been increased to Rs800 while pension for women who are victims of acid attacks been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000.
Construction of Namma Metro lines:
The Chief Minister said that 33 km of under-construction metro lines would be operational by next year. The 58-km ORR-airport metro line construction from Central Silk Board to Kempegowda International Airport will be finished by March 2025.
The DPR for Phase III of the Namma Metro project will be shown to the Central Government. Two new lines have been demonstrated under Phase III: one from J P Nagar to Hebbal and from Hosahalli to Kadabagere. The total expense of the project is estimated to be Rs 11,250 crore.
Another new metro line is from Sarjapur to Hebbal. The detailed project report (DPR) is prepared to construct the 37-km metro line via Agara, Koramangala, and Dairy Circle. The overall price of the project is Rs 15,000 crore.
A skywalk will be built at an expenditure of Rs 45 crore at Banashankari junction to link the metro station with the bus stand for the safety of pedestrians and street vendors. Bengaluru suburban railway project is proposed to be completed by 2026 at an estimated expenditure of Rs 15,267 crore. In this project, four corridors are envisaged to be constructed with a total length of 148 km.
Green Expo:
‘Green Expo’, on lines of the Singapore model, will be constructed in the heart of Bengaluru on 105 acres of land belonging to NGEF. Demonstrations on eco-friendly technology, eco-friendly transport, green infrastructure, green start-up and others will be provided here for the public.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park:
In the backdrop of rising demand for green space in the rapidly growing city, the government will develop a multi-purpose ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park’ in 350 acres of government land for the first time Jarakabande area of Yelahanka on the model of Lalbagh-Cubbon Park.
