Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has described the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as “pro-people, pro-farmer, and pro-poor”.
“Priority has been given to farmers, poor, and rural areas. The programmes announced for the farming sector complement the Prime Minister’s vision to double the income of farmers. Providing ₹2,83,000 crore to the agriculture sector was a major deviation from the routine budgetary allocations,” Mr. Yediyurappa said in a press statement.
The Chief Minister said Kisan Rail and Kisan Udan would facilitate speedy transportation and export of perishable agricultural products and this, in turn, would boost farmers’ income. Water conservation measures in 100 water-stressed districts, which form one-fifth of the country’s area, would help farmers in parched districts where underground water had almost exhausted, he said.
Encouraging production of solar energy and PM-KUSUM , the scheme of energising pump sets through solar energy, would help more than 20 lakh farmers. Implementation of scheme to provide training in “desi skills” would boost the small and cottage industries under MSME scheme.
Allowing foreign direct investment in the education sector would boost academic activities in fund-starved universities all over the country. “This is a good step to improve quality of education in the country.” He thanked the Centre for giving approval for suburban rail system for Bengaluru where the Centre and State would share 40% equity and 60% from external assistance.
Mr. Yediyurappa said, “Reduction in individual tax and corporate tax and simplification of tax system is a great relief.”
BJP’s Karnataka unit, on its Twitter handle, highlighted the new tax slabs proposed by the budget and described it as a “big relief to tax-paying individuals”.
Farmers’ income
Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, in a release, hailed the focus on doubling farmers’ income by 2022 and described it as one that aims to “uplift all communities and revolutionise the employment scenario”.
Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan told reporters in Bengaluru that the budget had many things to potentially incentivise the education sector, including setting up medical colleges in private-public partnership and coming up with a new education policy.
