Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday described the Union government’s Interim Budget 2024-25 as “disappointing” and that it would take India towards destruction.
“The BJP says this is a budget for Vikasit Bharat. But it is Vinaashkari for Bharat. This budget hasn’t addressed real problems such as price rise, unemployment and farmers’ issues. This is a disappointing budget prepared for the sake of the election,” Siddaramaiah told a news conference.
Siddaramaiah said the Interim Budget does not offer new projects or programmes. “Karnataka is not getting any new projects from this budget,” he said, adding that the budget is “anti-poor, anti-farmer and anti-people”.
The CM noted that the size of the Union budget is Rs 47.65 lakh crore, up from Rs 45.03 lakh crore in 2023-24. “That’s an increase of Rs 2.62 lakh crore, or 5.8 per cent,” he said.
According to Siddaramaiah, the Union government will borrow Rs 16.85 lakh crore.
“The total liabilities on the Union government now stands at Rs 190 lakh crore,” he said.
During the UPA government (2004-2014), Siddaramaiah said the average growth rate of the budget size was 13.79 per cent. “Now, under the Modi regime (2014-24), the budget growth has fallen to 9.6 per cent. The GDP growth was 11.14 per cent under the UPA government, which has declined to 6.4% now,” he said.
Siddaramaiah complained that funds from the Union government have not come for the Upper Bhadra Project, Peripheral Ring Road and other projects of the state.
“Not a single penny has come as drought relief from the Centre even as it’s been more than four months since the central team visited the state,” he said.
He also pointed out that Karnataka’s request for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Raichur was not considered.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the Interim Budget is the “worst he has seen.”
Speaking to reporters, he said he had called on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking funds for various projects.
“Many irrigation projects are suffering due to paucity of funds. Several new projects in Bengaluru need funds. She is elected from Karnataka, but the state got a raw deal,” he said.