BENGALURU: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and amidst pressure to announce new development works, fund five guarantees and clear loans and pending bills, CM Siddaramaiah has a challenging task to present the state budget in the next few weeks. He will start his department-wise meetings on Saturday.
He will meet agriculture, horticulture, mines and geology, sericulture, animal husbandry, primary and secondary education, higher education, health and family welfare, fisheries, inland and waterways, minor irrigation, science and technology, forest, environment, PWD and cooperation department officials. The meeting will start at noon and is expected to end by 8.15 pm, says a CMO release.
Last year, Siddaramaiah presented a Rs 3.3 lakh crore budget. This year, it is expected to cross Rs 3.6 lakh crore to Rs 3.7 lakh crore, sources said. “At least Rs 60,000 crore is needed for guarantees, and there are challenges like implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees. Last year, he focused on guarantees and not development works. Opposition targeted the government over it and there is pressure now to announce development works ahead of the polls,” said a senior Congress leader.
Meanwhile, Minister Ramalinga Reddy has written to DyCM DK Shivakumar, urging him to revise property tax in BBMP limits which has not been done for seven years. There are also proposals to increase prices of milk, liquor and other taxes.
On Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the previous BJP government had not cleared Rs 40,000 crore pending bills which has fallen on his government.