State top achiever in ease of biz: Guv as poll year’s budget session begins

The last session of the 15th legislative assembly of Karnataka commenced on Friday. The 11-day session will see chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who also holds the finance portfolio, present his government’s last budget on February 17, ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled in May.

The state government spent about 75% of the budget estimates by January 2023, Karnataka governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot said while addressing the joint session of the legislative houses on Friday.

The state government spent about 75% of the budget estimates by January 2023, Karnataka governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot said. (ANI)

The governor said the quantum of spending by January is higher when compared to the performance in the last few years.

The last session of the 15th legislative assembly of Karnataka commenced on Friday. The 11-day session will see chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who also holds the finance portfolio, present his government’s last budget on February 17, ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled in May.

Gehlot said Karnataka is a top achiever in ease of doing business and that the state attracted foreign direct investment of ₹1.63 lakh crore – 38% of total investment in the country – and contributed $25.87 billion in terms of exports.

In his address to the joint sitting of the state legislature, Gehlot said the government implemented the Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act to protect cattle wealth. ‘Goshalas’ have been constructed to protect weak, sick and orphaned animals, which farmers cannot rear.

“The government is following the model of inclusive development, and I am confident that it will successfully navigate the path of progress, laid by our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the next 25 years of ‘Amrit Kaal’,” Gehlot added.

Referring to another flagship programme, Jal Jeevan Mission, the governor said 3.7 million households have been connected to piped water supply through this initiative. With this, a total of 61.34% of households in Karnataka have been given tap water connections.

Meanwhile, Gehlot, delivering his address in Hindi, drew the ire of the Opposition in the state.

“We have taken a stand against the imposition of Hindi in our state. The governor’s office has to answer why the speech was read out in Hindi,” said senior Congress leader HK Patil.

The last session assembly is likely to witness poor attendance as a significant number of legislators are expected to miss it as they will be busy campaigning for the assembly polls.

On the first day of the session, Bommai, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, KPCC leader DK Shivakumar and several other prominent leaders were missing.

Siddaramaiah is likely to take part in Congress’ “Praja Dwani Yatre” in the northern parts of the state, as per his tour plan and is likely to take part in the session for a very few days, which includes the day on which the budget will be presented, people close to Congress said.

DK Shivakumar and several of its legislators are also likely to stay away on most days, as they will be either part of the yatra or would have to fulfil their responsibility relating to preparation for the polls, the above-cited people said.

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy who is leading the party’s “Pancharatna Ratha Yatra” preparing for the polls, is also likely to skip the session, leaving his deputy in the Assembly Bandeppa Kashempur to lead the charge in the lower House.

The former chief minister did not attend the winter session of the legislature held in Belagavi in December.

A large number of legislators, cutting across political affiliations, had favoured early winding up of the state legislature session in Belagavi in December 2022, citing preparations for the assembly polls, the trend is expected to continue in the budget session as well.