BENGALURU: Exhausted, but smiling, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in his post-budget press conference was confident that he presented a pro-farmer, pro-development budget in times of financial difficulty.
Countering allegations that funds have been cut in key departments such as SC/ST sub-plan, Yediyurappa said expenditure had increased owing to increase in salaries, pensions of employees, but going by the formulae of 24.1 per cent of allocable grants, Rs 26,930 crore is more than the mandatory allocation.
“We have been in the government for only for seven months. From one side, funds from the Centre have been reduced, and on the other, the previous government had announced big schemes. Despite all the challenges, we have adhered to the Fiscal norms,” Yediyurappa said when asked about fund cuts for various departments.
TNIE asked the CM if his budget reflected his party’s claim that same party governments at the state and centre would be beneficial to Karnataka, but the CM chose not to respond. Instead, Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister JC Madhuswamy said, “We will make a fresh representation to the Union government as well as the 15th Finance Commission to review funds allocated to us.”
Taking pride in his budget setting aside Rs 500 crore for Mahadayi, the CM said the Yettinahole project is also his priority. “Without hiding facts, I have stated that we are facing a resource crunch. The state is facing a deficit of about Rs 15,000 crore, compelling cuts,” he said. He is now gearing up to face an Opposition waiting to tear his budget down.