HDK’s maiden budget announces farm loan waiver, increase in tax on fuel

coastaldigest.com web desk
July 5, 2018

Bengaluru, Jul 5: Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is now presenting the Congress-JDS coalition government’s maiden budget. Here are the live updates:

16% of budget set aside for loan waiver

Kumaraswamy starts his budget speech at Vidhana Soudha. He announces formation of a farmers' consultation committee comprising of progressive farmers. He allocates ₹50 crore for a zero budget natural farming on the lines of Andhra Pradesh.

The focus, he says, will be on making on farming productive and ensure good prices.

Total budget size is ₹2.13 lakh crore, of which ₹34,000 crore will be set aside for the loan waiver in the budget, says the CM.

Fuel prices to go up

Kumaraswamy has included a host of tax hikes in the budget, which he has argued as necessary steps to “augment resource mobilisation” towards fulfilling the promise of loan waiver to farmers.

The budget has increased rate of tax on petrol from the present 30% to 32%, hiking petrol prices in the State by ₹1.14 per litre and rate of tax on diesel from the present 19% to 21% hiking its price by ₹1.12 per litre.

The Chief Minister said even with this hike the prices of petrol and diesel would be lower in Karnataka when compared to the neighbouring States.

School reforms

The Chief Minister also announces a package for repair of schools. He announces starting English medium government schools.

About 48,000 schools will have biometrics, within 3 years, to monitor teachers and students. And 1,000 Government schools to have English medium sections, Mr. Kumaraswamy says.

Arounf 8,530 schools that have low enrollment will be merged with schools within a kilometre. Sports will be introduced as a subject in higher education classes.

A university for sports to be set up in Tumakuru and a Homeland Security University will come up in Shivamogga. Rs. three crore has been set aside for a tourism university at Hampi on PPP model.

Overall, education department gets over ₹26,800 crore, 11% increase from February budget.

'Mathrushri scheme' for pregnant women

The CM announced a new scheme, named 'Mathrushri', to transfer money directly to the bank accounts of pregnant women from BPL families. ₹350 crore will be set aside for the same and it will be implemented from November 1.

Meanwhile, Anna Bhagya, the flashing scheme of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, gets a cut. The provision for 7 kg free rice has been reduced to 5 kg.

He also announced ₹25 crore for various religious institutions in the State, spread across castes.

More details are awaited

Comments

Suresh
 - 
Thursday, 5 Jul 2018

Loan waiving is big thing. Will see whether they can make practical or just in papers

Ibrahim
 - 
Thursday, 5 Jul 2018

HDK offering more burden to people by hiking fuel tax

Shahir
 - 
Thursday, 5 Jul 2018

English medium govt seems to be good plan but along with tha should promote Kannada and Kannanda should be compulsory

Kumar
 - 
Thursday, 5 Jul 2018

Instead of tax on oil will be double attack on people. Modi govt increasing by weekily.

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News Network
July 27,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 27: The Karnataka government on Sunday directed the Director General of Police Praveen Sood to submit a detailed report on the internal security following the United Nations' observation that international terror outfit IS was active in the state.

The UN report stated that Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent, which reportedly has between 150 and 200 members from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, was reportedly planning attacks in the region.

It also warned that there were 'significant numbers' of ISIS operatives in Karnataka and Kerala. Reacting to the UN report, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the state government has taken a serious note of the report on the activities of IS in the state.

The state government is in touch with the Centre and the neighbouring states to keep a close watch on the activities of suspicious people and their supporters.

"In this context, it has been decided to strengthen the internal security of the state. The Director General of Police has been asked to submit a detailed report," Bommai said in a release.

The state is also keeping a strict vigil on all those entering Bengaluru from other states, the Minister said. He recalled that the state police had arrested several members of Al-Hind organisation in January last and Jamaat- ul-Mujahideen from Bangladesh in 2018 and 2019. He added that the National Investigation Agency is investigating the case of JMB.

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coastaldigest.com news network
June 10,2020

Mangaluru, June 10: Former minister and Mangaluru MLA U T Khader has hit out at the Karnataka government for what he opined that it is misusing the Epidemic Diseases Act to target opposition parties. 

The statement comes in the backdrop of state government’s move to scuttle oath taking ceremony of KPCC president designate D K Shivakumar.

Asserting that the oath taking will be a grand affair, Mr Khader said that Congress will not be browbeaten by the tactics of the BJP.

Citing the blatant violation of all norms laid down under the Act by minister for health B R Sriramulu at Chitradurga earlier this month, Khader told reporters that the BJP is using the Act for its narrow political gains.

“KPCC has twice deferred swearing in ceremony of Shivakumar after being given the oral go ahead,” Khader claimed, adding the state government must explain to people the issue it has with the Congress organising this function.

Referring to the back-to-back virtual political rallies – one for Bihar and the other for Odisha – on Sunday and Monday that union home minister Amit Shah conducted, Khader wondered if the Act did not apply to the BJP leadership.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 4,2020

Mangaluru, May 4: The district administration has set up seven check-posts to monitor those entering Dakshina Kannada from other districts and states amidst coronavirus crisis.

The check-posts are located at up seven check-posts at Talapady, Hejamady, Gundya, Jalsoor, Charmadi, Naravi and Kallugundi. 

According to Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh, all those who enter the district will be screened. Those who come from outside the district and state will be asked to remain in quarantine. 

As the relaxation is announced for 12 hours, the public should be cautious while venturing out of the house. Wearing a mask in public is mandatory in addition to maintaining social distance. 

Further, she said of the 24 cases reported in the district, only four had symptoms of breathlessness and others were asymptomatic. Of the nine active cases in the district, the condition of one patient is serious while two are likely to be discharged from hospital shortly, said the DC.

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