Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said the Budget 2019-20 focussed on providing major relief to the drought-hit farming community and other low-income groups of the state.
Here are the key takeaways from Karnataka Budget 2019:
Loan waivers to farmers/agricultural reforms.
1. Rs 5,000 crore allocated towards waiver of farmer loans.
2. Two incentive-based farmer schemes, Raita Siri and Karavali, to give incentives to millet growers at Rs 10,000 per hectare and Rs 7,500 hectare, respectively.
3. Rs 3,700 crore set aside for distribution of foodgrains to beneficiaries.
4. Rs 1,050 crore allocated to irrigation schemes as a part of the state's anti-drought programme.
Bengaluru modernisation/infrastructure upgradation.
1. Rs 8,015 crore to be spent on various infrastructure projects in Bengaluru.
2. Rs 23,093 crore earmarked for building sub-urban rail projects in the capital.
3. The number of BMTC buses to be increased and construct 50-kilometre pedestrian road. A total of 3,544 transport buses of various models to be added along with the construction of 44 new bus stands.
4. Rs 10,000 crore to be spent on building elevated corridors.
5. Five lakh street lights to be changed to LED in a phase-wise manner.
6. Upgradation of existing metro lines, issuance of metro cards to passengers and building of metro link from Central Silk Board junction to Outer Ring Road with Rs 15,579 crore.
Education/ Health/ Culture/ Heritage initiatives.
1. The Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health to be made into a 450-bed hospital.
2. Merging Ayushman Bharat scheme and Arogya Karnataka scheme, which will cover 16,000 medical procedures and will benefit more than 1 crore families.
3. A new cancer hospital to be built in Tumkur district with Rs 50 crore allocation.
4. Rs 1,200 crore announced for the development of various government schools and colleges.
5. 1 lakh teachers across the state to be trained and 100 more schools to be opened.
6. 6 double-decker open buses on the lines of London Big Bus approved for sightseeing in Musuru.
Milk, beer to become costlier
Milk and beer are set to become dearer in Karnataka as the state government has decided to increase excise duty on low-alcoholic beverages and increase the procurement of milk.
Pro-poor/ minorities schemes
1. Kumaraswamy has also announced a scheme to help build 2,000 houses for fishermen at Rs15 crore budget allocation.
2. Rs 690 crore allotted for minority welfare.
3. A scheme has been launched for auto-rickshaw drivers to buy their own houses.
4. Rs 300 crore earmarked for slum development in Bengaluru.
5. Setting up child care rooms across bus stands in all the districts for the nourishment of children.
6. Build 854 houses for flood-hit people in Kodagu.
