Karnataka Budget 2019

The Chief Minister of Karnataka presented the second state budget on the 8th of February, 2019 in the Legislative Assembly. Similar to the yesteryear's state budget, Karnataka Budget 2019 promises to fulfil the farm loan waiver of INR 46,000 Crores. The Budget is focused on providing relief to the drought-hit farming community and is expected to offer various benefits to farmers just like the Interim Budget 2019 declared by the Union Government. With different other schemes and projects for low-income groups of the State, Karnataka Budget 2019 - 2020 has been formulated with the aim to offer a helping hand to all the sectors in the State. This article talks about the various critical takeaways from the Karnataka Budget 2019.

Highlights of the Budget

The following are the highlights of the Karnataka Budget 2019 that was preceded by the Chief Minister of the State, HD Kumaraswamy at the Legislative Assembly. The highlights have been categorised into various sectors accordingly.

Infrastructure Plans

The following are the highlights mentioned in the Karnataka Budget 2019 Speech at the Legislative Assembly concerning Infrastructure Plans.

The Government has declared to construct 800 houses for the victims who were affected by the flood in the State.
The Centre has released an amount of INR 900 Crores for the housing of flood-affected victims of Karnataka.
An amount of INR 100 Crores has been allocated for the Taluks that have been hit by drought, or whose underground water supply has depleted.
The construction of a tomato processing unit in Kolar, the largest tomato market in the country, has been approved.
The districts of Ramanagara and Dharwad would get their mango processing units each with a particular budget allocation of INR 20 Crores.
The Ulsoor Gurudwara has been allocated an amount of INR 25 Crores in the Budget.
A grant of INR 100 Crores has been sanctioned for the construction of rail track barriers. This is aimed to reduce and control human-elephant conflict under the Prevention of Human-Elephant Conflict by Use of Rail Barriers project.
An amount of INR 1000 Crores has been granted for the Elevated Corridor in the city of Bangalore.
The town of Vijayapura has been allocated INR 40 Crores for the construction of a hospital.
The Budget has included the construction of an airport in the district of Hassan.
The development of the airstrips in Chikkamagalur and Shivamogga have been sanctioned under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Model.
The re-survey of the districts of Kalaburagi, Dakshina Kannada, Vijayapura, Mysuru, Davanagere, Gadag and Kodagu with the help of Drones.
The Budget has allocated an amount of INR 2 Crores for the constitution of the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Development Authority of Kodagu.
INR 150 Crores has been granted for the city of Mysuru.
INR 125 Crores has been allocated for the city of Shivamogga.
For the purpose of water-filling works for the tanks under the Balaghatta Gram Oanchayathi in the Pandavapura Taluk, an amount of INR 100 Crores has been granted.
An amount INR 13 Crores has been approved for tank filling works of 8 water tanks through the lift irrigation from the Tunga river that is situated near the Hole Hasanvadi village in Shivamogga.
For the provision of systematic facilities and the upgradation of the Urban Haat for the artisans in Mysuru through the Hagadguru Shree Suttur Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji Mutt, an amount INR 5 Crores has been granted in the Budget.
For the Development of the Kodava Community Hockey Stadium at Balugoda in the Virajpet district, INR 5 Crores has been allocated.
An amount of INR 23,093 Crores has been explicitly allocated for the sub-urban rail services in the city of Bengaluru. This has been directed towards a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) made by the Bengaluru Rail Infrastructure Development Entity (B-RIDE) in partnership with the State and Central Government.
The Government would issue a Commuter's card for the Metro and BMTC. This initiative would include increasing 50 trains by six coaches, providing charging facilities to two-wheeler e-vehicles in 10 metro stations, releasing small capacity buses from BMTC in 10 selected Metro stations with the aim to provide last mile connectivity.
The Government has initiated the construction of a pedestrian flyover in most metro rail stations and Yeshwanthapur.
The Government has initiated the construction of a metro line from Central Silk Board junction to the Outer Ring Road via K R Puram via Hebbal with an allocation of INR 16,579 Crores in the Budget.
The Government has initiated the construction of the Peripheral Ring Road that estimates upto INR 17,200 Crores.
The Budget has included the development of 7,490 Kms length of roads with an estimate that comes up to INR 10,000 Crores under SHDP.
The improvement and upgradation work of roads and bridges with a total cost of INR 5,690 Crores.
The Budget has included the completion of 1,317 small bridges in the Malnad and coastal districts.
A grant of INR 100 Crores for the construction of security barriers across the tanks, canals and other water bodies that are located near roads in the State order to prevent incidents and accidents has been approved.
The Budget has included the operationalisation of the Bidar airport with an amount of INR 32 Crores granted for the construction of a new terminal building in the year 2019.
An amount of INR 40 Crores has been granted for laying pipelines to carry 40 M.L.D water to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board for the K. C Valley Project.

Agriculture Sector

The following are the highlights mentioned in the Karnataka Budget 2019 Speech at the Legislative Assembly about the Agriculture Sector.

The Budget has sanctioned a support price of INR 10,000 per hectare for farmers who cultivate millet.
The Budget has sanctioned a support price of INR 7,000 per hectare for farmers who cultivate paddy.
An amount of INR 368 Crores has been directed towards minor irrigation in the State.
Under the Karavali package, an amount of INR 5 Crores has been sanctioned. This would enable paddy farmers to receive INR 7,500 per hectare.
The incentives directed to milk producers has been raised from INR 5 per Litre to INR 6 per Litre with a budget of INR 1,459 Crores set aside.

Education Sector

The following are the highlights mentioned in the Karnataka Budget 2019 Speech at the Legislative Assembly concerning the Education Sector.

A 10-day training programme would be conducted for 1 Lakh teachers under the Guruchethana Programme.
Well equipped language skill training centres would be established in the cities of Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburgi and Belagavi under the name of Alur Venkatarao. This aim to improve language teaching methodology has been allotted a budget of INR 2 Crores.
A new University of technology would be established in the district of Hassan.
The Government has decided to establish an e-Governance Cell in the Administrative Training Institute in Mysuru and all other district training institutes.

Health Sector

The following are the highlights mentioned in the Karnataka Budget 2019 Speech at the Legislative Assembly about Health Sector.

The Chief Minister announced the allocation of INR 5 Crores for providing and improving the production of a vaccine against Monkey Fever or Kyasanuru Forest Disease that has been affecting various districts of Malnad, Karnataka.
A grant of INR 50 Crores has been sanctioned for the improvement and upradation of the Hospital in the Chikkamagaluru district to a Super Speciality Hospital.
The Government has decided to establish state-level training centres for every worker in the Department of Women and Child Welfare at Ballari. There would also be divisional level training centres in the cities of Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Chitradurga in the Bengaluru division with an allocation of INR 5 Crores in the Budget.

Business Sector

The following are the highlights mentioned in the Karnataka Budget 2019 Speech at the Legislative Assembly concerning Business.

The Budget promises to help the upcoming startups in the city of Bengaluru by strengthening the Incubation Centre.
An amount of INR 50 Crores has been set aside for the comprehensive development of industries situated in the Mandya district in order to create more job opportunities in and around the district.

Schemes and Subsidies

The following are the highlights mentioned in the Karnataka Budget 2019 Speech at the Legislative Assembly about Subsidies and Schemes.

The subsidy for the pilgrimage to Manasa Sarovara has been raised to INR 30,000/- by the Government.
An amount of INR 638 Crores has been set aside for the Ksheera Bhagya Scheme in the Budget.
The Anganwadi children have been sanctioned an amount of INR 405 Crores as a part of the Budget.
For the implementation of a comprehensive mobility scheme that prioritises public transport and stabilisation, INR 50 Crores has been granted. This grant is directed to the aim to increase the number of buses in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation.

Projects

The following are the highlights mentioned in the Karnataka Budget 2019 Speech at the Legislative Assembly concerning various projects throughout the State.

Veerapura in the Magadi Taluk of Ramanagar District would be given individual grants as it is the birthplace of Siddaganga Shivakumara Swamiji who passed away recently.
A 10-day training programme would be conducted for 1 Lakh teachers under the Guruchethana Programme.
KSTDC has planned to launch 6 double-decker open buses that are similar to the Big Bus in London. This would be used to sightsee various popular tourist destinations of Mysuru and is allocated a budget of INR 5 Crores.
An amount of INR 5 Crores has been sanctioned for the comprehensive development of the historical Melukote with the constitution of the Melukote Development Authority.
Various religious institutes and mutts have been allocated with an amount of INR 60 Crores for the year of 2019.
The Budget has included the costs related to the formation of new taluks in Chelur in the Chikkaballapur district, Harohalli in the Ramanagar district, Kalasa in the Chikkamagalur district and Terdal in the Bagalkot district.
An amount of INR 10 Crores has been directed towards the overall development of the Kodava community.
INR 1 Crore has been directed towards a special program in order to promote feature films in Kodava, Tulu and Konkani languages.