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
March 31,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 31: With many departmental stores, shops and establishments insisting on people to wear masks, Karnataka government on Tuesday clarified that as a rule every one need not wear a mask.

The Commissionerate of Health and Family Welfare Services in an advisory said a person is suppose to wear mask only when he or she has symptoms of cold or cough or fever or any other respiratory problem.

It said a person who is caring for COVID-19 suspect or confirmed patient should wear mask. Also, a health worker who is attending to a patient with respiratory symptoms should wear a mask.

The advisory also noted that those treating or handling COVID-19 suspects or patients need to wear N95 mask, while others can wear triple layer surgical mask.

The advisory from the Commissionerate has come amid shops and establishments, also police on road insisting people to wear masks when they venture out.

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News Network
January 21,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 21: Controversial Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan will remain in state-syllabus textbooks in the next academic year (2020-21) too. But the government will form another committee to look at the subject afresh.

"Efforts are on to give textbooks and uniforms the day schools open next academic year. After a discussion with the CM, we decided to not make any changes in the textbooks for the upcoming academic year,"said primary and secondary education minister S Suresh Kumar.

No political angle, says minister

However, we will form a committee to look into it again,” said the minister.

Three months ago, Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan had written to the minister seeking removal of contents on Tipu Sultan from Karnataka state syllabus books of classes 6,7 and 10. The minister said: “Appachu Ranjan is a five-time MLA. When he sent a letter, it’s my duty to seek an opinion on it. There’s no political angle here.”

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News Network
July 16,2020

Mangaluru, Jul 16: Streets in Mangaluru wore a deserted look as the city woke up to the first morning of the seven-day lockdown on Thursday.

The lockdown is being observed after the state government announced it as a necessary step to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The week-long total shutdown came into effect in the Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district from 8 pm on July 15 till 5 am on July 22.

The state government allowed relaxation between 8am to 11 am for purchasing of essential commodities. A slight rush was observed during the hours of the relaxation.

Karnataka has so far reported 47,253 positive COVID-19 cases, including 27,859 active cases and 18,466 recoveries.

So far, 928 people have lost their lives due to the infectious virus in the state.

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