Siddaramaiah Set To Present Record-Breaking 14th Budget Amidst Challenges

On Friday, Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to unveil the inaugural budget of the Congress government in the state. This will mark Siddaramaiah's 14th budget presentation in the state legislature, surpassing the record previously held by late Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde, who presented 13 budgets throughout his political career. Siddaramaiah has indicated that the estimated size of the new budget will be Rs 3,35,000 crore. Notably, his first budget amounted to Rs 12,616 crore, while his 13th budget reached Rs 2,09,181 crore.

However, sources within the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) state that the 14th budget faces challenges amidst a profit-oriented market and corporate economic policies dominating the country, gradually diminishing socialist economic approaches and disregarding the welfare of the people. They affirm that the focus will be on resource mobilization and the fulfillment of all five guarantees outlined in the Congress party's election manifesto.

According to Siddaramaiah, a budget of over Rs 50,000 crores is necessary for this year to support the implementation of various free schemes. The task ahead involves striking a balance between state development and fiscal responsibility, while also ensuring the successful implementation of these free schemes. The ultimate goal is to establish a strong foundation to secure maximum seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year.

The sources further elaborated that the Congress government aims to send a strong message to the nation, particularly against the BJP. They suggested that Siddaramaiah would criticize the BJP-led central government regarding issues such as the distribution of the GST share and alleged non-cooperation in selling rice to the state.

The state government faces the unavoidable task of mobilizing resources to fulfill its guarantees and allocate funds for major irrigation and development projects like Ettinahole, Mekedatu, Upper Krishna, Upper Bhadra, Kalasa Banduri, and Alamatti.

Additionally, Siddaramaiah is confronted with the challenge of securing adequate funds for Bengaluru's development. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has proposed the construction of 17 flyovers to alleviate traffic congestion, but pending bills worth Rs 7,000 crore owed to contractors by civic agencies have yet to be released.

Furthermore, the state government must allocate sufficient funds for the suburban rail project and new metro routes aimed at decongesting Bengaluru. The Chief Minister has been engaged in continuous meetings with the Finance Department for the past 25 days in preparation for his 14th budget presentation.

Throughout Siddaramaiah's 13 previous budgets, spanning from his first budget presented as Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister in 1995-96 to his last budget as Chief Minister in his previous term for 2018-19, the influence of prominent figures such as Basavanna, Dr. B.R Ambedkar, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Devaraja Urs is evident and well-documented.

The budgets from 1995-96 to 2018-19 reflect strong socialist aspirations, thoughts, and concerns. They also showcase the principles and ideals of the Ahinda movement, which played a significant role during Siddaramaiah's six budgets from 2013-14 to 2018-19.

During these budget phases, substantial funds were allocated to agriculture, industry, the service sector, and skill development. The allocation of funds to the Ahinda and Shudra communities, representing 85% of the total population, serves as a testament to Basavanna's principle of equal share for all, as per the sources.

In the 14th budget, considered the most challenging one, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's recent statements suggest that the five guarantees will provide substantial relief to people of all castes and classes, addressing their hardships.

Revenue receipts and expenditures have increased each year in the previous 13 budgets. Notably, the revenue surplus grew from Rs 127 crore to Rs 910 crore between 2014-15 and 2018-19, indicating Siddaramaiah's adherence to financial discipline, according to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

In addition to presenting the highest number of budgets in the state, Siddaramaiah has garnered a reputation for maintaining fiscal discipline and implementing programs that benefit the people. As Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister, he played a key role in drafting and implementing the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, 1991.

Meanwhile, likewise, the Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act 2002 streamlined the government's fiscal procedures and made it mandatory to present the Medium Term Fiscal Plan Estimates (MTFP) in the legislature alongside the annual budget, as stated by the CMO.