BENGALURU: With nearly 10 months remaining in the current financial year, DK Shivakumar, who is likely to be sworn in as Chief Minister soon, may look at announcing a major policy initiative aimed at benefiting a larger section of society and making an immediate impact.
While Shivakumar is unlikely to present a fresh budget, he is expected to bring in a supplementary budget to accommodate his policy priorities and flagship initiatives.
In March this year, Siddaramaiah had presented a Rs 4.48 lakh crore budget. Now in May, Shivakumar is unlikely to make any changes in the budget. Speaking to The new Indian Express, Congress MLA from Kunigal, Dr HD Ranganath, a close associate of Shivakumar, said he was told to work on farmers health. “We are working on it. Shivakumar is keen to provide best health care to farmers across the state,’’ he said. This is also Shivakumar’s pet project and he is working on it, which will be announced after he becomes the CM, he added.
Shivakumar is also keen in bringing a policy to ensure 10,000 government schools are adopted by corporate companies, industrialists and private educational institutions. “Through their corporate social responsibility, Shivakumar wants to ensure these government school get better infrastructure,” he said, adding that Shivakumar wants to ensure that more number of children enrol in government schools.
Senior Congress leader N Chaluvarayaswamy said Shivakumar may not present a budget. “Instead, he will stress on revenue mobilisation and focus on development works,” he said.
Congress sources said Shivakumar is keen in changing the image of Bengaluru. With Greater Bengaluru Authority polls approaching, Shivakumar, who was holding the Bengaluru Development portfolio, will take up issues related to roads on priority. “It may not be a supplementary budget. The CM can present a fresh budget if he chooses to. However, governments generally do not do so when there is only a change in leadership within the same party,” a government official said.
With limited time, Shivakumar will get to present his full fledged budget only in 2027 for the financial year 2027-2028. “Later in 2028, Karnataka will go for elections and though he gets to present budget in 2028, this may not work. His vision and priorities will be announced in the next few days,” sources said.
