<p class="title">The State Budget, presented by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, has received mixed response in the district.</p>.<p class="bodytext">District Congress Committee president Ashok Kumar Kodavur criticised the budget as lacking in clarity.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“There are no new schemes and with the rise in fuel prices, the common man will be in trouble. There is no specific plan to augment the growth of farm goods.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Jeevana Chaitra Yatre’ for BPL cardholders is a promising, but the age limit is a big spoiler, he ridiculed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">JD(S) district president Yogish Shetty said the budget had put burden on the shoulders of the poor and the middle class people.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Writer Bellur Raghav Shetty said the budget had failed to announce any special incentives for agriculture.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The support price makes no sense. Instead of giving away freebies it is better to provide employment for unemployed youth.</p>.<p class="bodytext">CPI(M) leader Balakrishna Shetty said the budget had ignored the rural areas. “The budgetary allocation for the development of rural areas is inadequate,” he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Agriculturalist Satyanarayan Udupa said the budget was helpful to farmers. The water conservation strategies envisaged is indeed productive. The provisions made for organic farming and vented dams are a welcome, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“But mere declaration is not sufficient, government should ensure the availability of sufficient funds to implement these programmes,” he stressed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Former BJP MLC Captain Ganesh Karnik told <span class="italic">DH</span> that the budget was outstanding. He lauded the budgetary allocations to agriculture, incentives to degree students, pure drinking water schemes, housing schemes for police, installation of Kempegowda statue at KIA and the construction of Anubhav Mantap as some of the best initiatives.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Paschima Vahini programme for coastal districts will also benefit farmers, Karnik added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Fishermen leader Heeriyanna Kidiyur said that the budget had plenty to offer for the fishing community. The funds set aside to upgrade fishing jetties at Hejamadi Kodi<br />(Rs 181 crore), Hangarkatte (Rs 130 crore) and Koderi (Rs 85 crore) are commendable.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Long pending demands like Kissan credit cards and soft loans had been realised.’’</p>.<p class="bodytext">Uday Kumar, owner of an Ice plant, said the initiative to empower 1,000 fisherwomen by providing them a two-wheeler (Rs five crore) is first-of-its-kind initiative. The budget has failed to redress problems of ice plant industry suffering losses due to poor fish catch, he added.</p>
<p class="title">The State Budget, presented by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, has received mixed response in the district.</p>.<p class="bodytext">District Congress Committee president Ashok Kumar Kodavur criticised the budget as lacking in clarity.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“There are no new schemes and with the rise in fuel prices, the common man will be in trouble. There is no specific plan to augment the growth of farm goods.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Jeevana Chaitra Yatre’ for BPL cardholders is a promising, but the age limit is a big spoiler, he ridiculed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">JD(S) district president Yogish Shetty said the budget had put burden on the shoulders of the poor and the middle class people.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Writer Bellur Raghav Shetty said the budget had failed to announce any special incentives for agriculture.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The support price makes no sense. Instead of giving away freebies it is better to provide employment for unemployed youth.</p>.<p class="bodytext">CPI(M) leader Balakrishna Shetty said the budget had ignored the rural areas. “The budgetary allocation for the development of rural areas is inadequate,” he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Agriculturalist Satyanarayan Udupa said the budget was helpful to farmers. The water conservation strategies envisaged is indeed productive. The provisions made for organic farming and vented dams are a welcome, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“But mere declaration is not sufficient, government should ensure the availability of sufficient funds to implement these programmes,” he stressed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Former BJP MLC Captain Ganesh Karnik told <span class="italic">DH</span> that the budget was outstanding. He lauded the budgetary allocations to agriculture, incentives to degree students, pure drinking water schemes, housing schemes for police, installation of Kempegowda statue at KIA and the construction of Anubhav Mantap as some of the best initiatives.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Paschima Vahini programme for coastal districts will also benefit farmers, Karnik added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Fishermen leader Heeriyanna Kidiyur said that the budget had plenty to offer for the fishing community. The funds set aside to upgrade fishing jetties at Hejamadi Kodi<br />(Rs 181 crore), Hangarkatte (Rs 130 crore) and Koderi (Rs 85 crore) are commendable.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Long pending demands like Kissan credit cards and soft loans had been realised.’’</p>.<p class="bodytext">Uday Kumar, owner of an Ice plant, said the initiative to empower 1,000 fisherwomen by providing them a two-wheeler (Rs five crore) is first-of-its-kind initiative. The budget has failed to redress problems of ice plant industry suffering losses due to poor fish catch, he added.</p>