CM Siddaramaiah defends state budget, promises surplus for 2026-27
BENGALURU: Hitting back at the Opposition’s allegation that the state budget 2025-26 was a flop show in terms of financial management, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday asserted that he will present a surplus budget for 2026-27.
“Last year, there was a revenue deficit of Rs 27,000 crore. This year, it has been reduced to Rs 19,262 crore. Next year, we will present a revenue surplus budget,” he said in his reply to the Opposition. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka alleged that “the people are being made to drink alcohol to increase the state’s revenues”.
“Siddaramaiah, who has presented sixteen budgets, is very weak,” he criticised. Replying to Ashoka, the CM said the Centre had a debt of only Rs 53.11 lakh crore till 2014-15. “After Narendra Modi became the prime minister, it has increased by 56%, as Rs 2.1 lakh crore is being borrowed in 2025-26.
The country’s total debt has increased to Rs 201 lakh crore,” he added. BJP’s Araga Jnanendra sought to know how much is the capital expenditure of the government, while Sunil Kumar and Bharat Shetty expressed that the Centre is using borrowing for the right purposes.
“This is the state budget. Central issues should not be discussed here as the Parliament session is going on,” suggested BJP’s BY Vijayendra. Replying to them, Siddaramaiah said, “Our government has increased capital expenditure to Rs 83,000 crore.” He added that in a federal system, issues of the Central Government need to be discussed.