BENGALURU: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday approved the first instalment of supplementary estimates for 2025-26, aggregating Rs 3,352.57 crore additional expenditure incurred by the government over and above budget provisions. It’s 0.78 per cent of the state budget of Rs 4.09 lakh crore.
The additional expenditure the government regularised include Rs 4.99crore towards outstanding bills in court cases against Dreams of Fountains Pvt Ltd (formerly Chilume Enterprises and DAP Hombale) pertaining to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rs 3.81crore for purchase of new vehicles for legislators, including LoPs, chief whips of opposition parties, Rs 3.69crore for a Cabinet meeting at Nandi Hills, Rs 2.3crore to senior advocate Kapil Sibal and other counsels.
As BJP MLAs sought to know how the government would raise finances for additional expenditure, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remarked that it’s surprising the former has sought an explanation as it is common in every government’s tenure. He said it will be met with reappropriation, increasing tax collection and if required, by raising loans.
Meanwhile, the BJP strongly objected to Rs 10 crore grant to Wayanad for flood relief and Rs 10 crore for the government’s Sadhana Samavesha. “For Kannadigas, you provide Rs 95,000, but for Wayanad you are liberal enough to give Rs 10 crore to build 100 houses at Rs 10 lakh each,” LoP R Ashoka said. He also suggested that Rs 10 crore spent on the ‘samavesha’ should be borne by the Congress.
Siddaramaiah hit back, saying the government had granted Rs 10 crore to Wayanad on humanitarian grounds, and the Sadhana Samavesha was a government event for which LoPs of both Houses were also invited.