Budget promises fine but will CM deliver?

It does not take much to pledge what one may not be in a position to deliver or may not be held accountable for non-delivery. The Budget presented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday in the Assembly falls into this category. In a large-hearted gesture, Mr Bommai presented a Budget that promises a plethora of bounties for various sections of people at a juncture when uncertainty looms over his return to the seat that entitles him to all such grandiose gestures.

Rightly dubbed a ‘please all’ exercise, the State Budget for 2023-24 may hearten the devotees of Lord Ram and Hanuman as it promises to construct a majestic Ram Temple at Ramadevara Betta (hill) in Ramanagara district even while laying down plans for developing Anjanadri Hill in Koppal district.

The Budget proposes a total outlay of Rs. 1,000 crore for comprehensive development and renovation of various temples and shrines. It is open to question if the State could devote such massive resources to develop shrines exclusive to a particular section of population while ignoring bread and butter issues relevant for a large section. It is not difficult to glean that much of these are intended to facilitate the ruling party’s foray into the Vokkaliga heartland where its grip on the electorate is still fragile.  

The proposal to allocate another Rs. 1,000 crore for free bus pass facility for women working in the organized sector too fails the economic rationale. If at all, women in unorganized sector deserve such largesse more as they belong to an exploited class with uneven incomes and remain deprived of any state facilities worth the name. As a principle, use of civic amenities without payment for the services rendered is bad in principle and leaves them vulnerable to both misuse and overuse.

The Rs 500 a month for landless women farm labourers under the new Sharma Shakthi scheme is though welcome, it is doubtful as to how the state machinery would identify the deserving beneficiaries.  Enhancement of the limit of interest-free shortterm loans from Rs three lakh to Rs five lakh is a step in the right direction and is likely to bring relief to cash-strapped farmers. Proposals to construct airports at Davangere and Koppal is totally uncalled for as air services to such small towns prove unviable. Launched with fanfare, these are discontinued without intimation.

Airlines are already refusing to connect Bidar with Bengaluru where the services are now available only for two days in a week against the seven days when launched.  The Budget fails to envision any scheme to redress massive layoffs in the IT sectors where thousands have been retrenched by global majors in recent months. It totally ignores the woes of the contractors who have been demanding transparency in government tendering process and elimination of ministerial corruption.

It is rather a disgrace for a state known for its world class Information Technology industry not to address the financial opacity in awarding of contracts and delaying the clearance of dues for months without end.  With overall emphasis on splurging the state resources by way of sops, the Budget does not propose any worthwhile scheme to generate employment for the educated youth, nor does it envision any scheme to alleviate poverty.