BENGALURU: With Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman all set to present the Union Budget for 2021-2022 on Monday, Karnataka is hoping to get its dues in Central grants as well as proportionate infrastructure funding.
While earlier in January, the state’s representative on the GST Council and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had apprised Nirmala Sitharaman about the state’s expectations, officials in the government hope there are no cuts in fund allocation to the state in the form of centrally-sponsored projects, grant-in aids, devolution of funds from the 15th Finance Commission, GST compensation and big-ticket infrastructure projects.
“We expect the Centre to allocate our share of funds to us in the Budget. We are also hopeful of policy decisions on ease of doing business, simplification, relaxation for industries, reforms in licensing and registration, encouragement for entrepreneurship,” said Deputy CM Dr C N Ashwath Narayan.
K’taka seeks infra push from Centre
“The topmost priority and share of resources must be allocated to education and implementation of the National Education Policy,” said Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, while highlighting the need for better infrastructure for the manufacturing sector too. In its request to the Finance Minister, the Karnataka Government had sought additional funds for the development of Bengaluru with respect to bigticket projects like suburban railway, Metro rail, etc.
The state had also sought release of special g rant s t o the tune of Rs 5 , 4 9 5 crore, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission in its report for 2020-21. Given the fund allocation in the previous budget and the economic slowdown, the opposition in Karnataka is for having “realistic” expectations.
“The Economic Survey has projected 11 per cent growth rate, but that is after the 7.7 per cent contraction we saw. There have been huge cuts in central funds, in GST compensation, SDRF and NDRF allocation, Centre’s share in sponsored projects. We have very little expectation from the Budget. We hope it will at least be a survival budget if not a revival one,” said former minister and Chittapur Congress MLA Priyank Kharge.