By Express News Service
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented his record 12th budget, worth Rs 1.86 lakh crore, here on Wednesday. The budgetary allocation is 14.16 percent more than the budget estimates of the previous financial year.
With the next elections at the horizon, several initiatives were announced by Siddaramaiah. In order to address the traffic woes of Bengaluru 12 high-density corridors estimated to be worth Rs 150 crores was announced. Apart from Rs 200 crores has been set aside to build 200 kilometre footpaths in the city.
Other schemes aimed at the city includes Rs 80 crore for skywalks, taking a cue from Tamil Nadu's Amma canteen, 'Namma Canteen' for cheap and affordable food in all 198 wards of BBMP, construction of underbridge and widening of overbridge at Hebbal junction - estimated at Rs 88 crore and others.
He also continued to extend support for the schemes introduced by him, such as Anna Bhagya - where the limit of grains for a person has been increase from five to seven kgs. English teaching to be introduced from class one in government schools, free laptops for all undergraduate students, tree parks in every assembly constituency in the name of Saalumarada Thimmakka, free wi-fi to all grama panchayats and 'Mobile canteens' for SHG's in every district were also announced.
Apart from it, water supply project for 110 villages around Benagluru at Rs 1,886 crore, free 10,000 litre drinking water to slumdwellers was also announced. In the entertainment front, a national annual International Surfing Festival was announced at Bengaluru and it has been made compulsory for multiplexes to screen atleast one Kannada movie.
