NEWS

Chief minister presented Karnataka Budget 2022 

HIGHLIGHTS

• The total revenue receipts amount to Rs 2,61,977 while the public debt stood at Rs 72,089 crore
• Karnataka will not see a rise in taxes for the next fiscal
• Petroleum product prices untouched
• Announced Rs 1,000 crore for the Mahadayi project
• Allotted Rs 43,188 crore for women empowerment
• Announced Rs 33,700 crore for agriculture and related activities and Rs 20,601 crore for the water resources ministry.
• Government would provide Rs 5,000 each for 30,000 pilgrims going on the Kashi pilgrimage
• Reserved Rs 6,000 crore for Bengaluru infrastructure development.
• Budget allotted Rs 43,188 crore for women empowerment
• Reintroduction of Yeshaswini health insurance scheme for farmers
• Laid out Rs. 1000 crore for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project
• Distribution of an additional one kg of ragi or jowar along with five kg rice through PDS
• Proposed ₹2,000 monthly hardship allowance for pourakarmikas
• Increase in monthly honorarium for midday meal workers and ASHA volunteers by ₹1,000 each, and for anganwadi workers by ₹1,500 for those who have rendered above 20 years of service.
• Promised an increase in pension to 1.32 lakh beneficiaries of unmarried and divorced women, gender minorities from ₹600 to ₹800, and increased pension for women of acid victims from ₹3,000 to ₹10,000.
• Adopted what it called “3 Es Manthra” — employment, education and empowerment — for the uplift of weaker sections
• Proposed aid of ₹50,000 for purchase of electric three-wheeler goods vehicle costing ₹1.50 lakh for SC/ST youth. The Budget d
• Decided to allocate ₹1,100 crore for providing jobs for youth, women and weaker sections under the Rural Livelihood Mission
• Proposed the Vinaya Samarasya Yojane for eradicating untouchability and decided to give funds for restoration and development of SC/ST mutts and institutions.
• Prioritised the preservation of cattle resources and has implemented the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, adding that the number of ‘Goshalas’ will be increased from 31 to 100 for effective implementation of the act, with Rs 50 crore set aside for the purpose
• Seven engineering colleges would be developed as the Karnataka Institute of Technology (KIT) on the lines of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The government will collaborate with foreign universities in this regard
• Government will also introduce the ‘Punyakoti Dattu Yojane,’ which would encourage public and commercial organisations to adopt cows in goshalas for Rs 11,000 per year.
• Diesel subsidy of Rs 250 per acre, subject to a maximum of 5 acres, would be paid through Direct Benefit Transfer under a new scheme called “Raitha Shakti” for which Rs 500 crore has been included in the budget to stimulate the use of farm machinery and cut fuel expenditure for the first time in the state.
• A total of Rs 500 crore has been set up in the budget for the construction of infrastructure in the state’s government schools, with priority given to selected aspirational taluks
• Intends to create 438 “Namma Clinics” across the state’s major cities, as well as in all of Bengaluru’s wards. These clinics will offer services such as non-communicable illness screening and referral to specialists for more advanced treatment
• To help women graduates of SC/ST start businesses, entrepreneurship training will be provided at the prestigious IIM Bengaluru
• At a cost of Rs 89 crore, twenty government schools in the city would be transformed into ‘Bengaluru Public Schools’
• 3000 crores for Yettinahole project which which will provide permanent solution to drinking water scarcity of people of Chikkaballapur, Kolar and Bengaluru Rural districts was allocated
• To provide quality heart treatment in North Karnataka a regional centre of Jayadeva Institute will be set in Hubballi at a cost of Rs 250 crore
• Kidwai regional centre will be set up in Belagavi at a cost of Rs 50 crore and 10 Infusion Centres will be set up at selected medical colleges to ensure quality cancer treatment across the state
• Seven Taluk Hospitals will be upgraded to 100 bed hospitals and 4 super speciality hospitals will be set up in Bengaluru
• A birds and butterfly sanctuary will be established at Belagavi district’s Hidkal dam area for conversation of birds and butterflies and to create awareness
• A green hydrogen policy in collaboration with the Union Government’s ‘National Green Hydrogen Mission’ is on the cards, along with the possibility of a green hydrogen pilot project through the PPP model
• Announced the possibility of installing a 5,000 MW capacity hybrid renewable energy park in eight identified districts, while a 2,000 MW capacity Underground Storage Centre in the Sharavathi basin at an estimated cost of ₹5,391 crore has been proposed
• About 10,000 solar-based irrigation pump sets will be established through Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd. at a cost of ₹227 crore
• Proposed to brand toor dal grown in Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts as “Bhima Pulse”. Toor dal grown in these districts has distinct geographical indication
• To popularise honey produced by Kodagu and Jamboti in Belagavi and to increase production, ₹5 crore has been provided in the Budget. The funds would be used for improving marketing facility and branding.
• On the lines of Nanjundappa high power committee for removing regional balances, another effort is being made for the development of taluks which are performing below the State average in various development indicators
• According to the State Budget, such taluks will be identified as aspirational taluks and emphasis will be given for their comprehensive development. Such taluks would get higher priority under programmes of various departments.
• In a major decision, the State Government has decided to merge multiple residential schools and one such school in each district will be upgraded to PU college. After the merger of the schools, they will be renamed as APJ Abdul Kalam Residential School. For this purpose ₹25 crore has been earmarked. The Budget also states that CBSE accreditation will be obtained for these schools.
• As climate change and conservation are firmly in focus the world over, the Karnataka Government has announced an “eco budget” of ₹ 100 crore to “compensate the negative effect created on the forest system due to natural and human interventions over past five years”.