Being used to playing vote-bank politics, the Congress Government headed by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah presented the last budget of his government at the Legislative Assembly this morning with all the characteristics of a vote- bank budget.

The budget was loaded with sops which are aimed at helping the Congress consolidate its vote base. For the record, populist measures have been a mainstay of Siddharamaiah’s budgets since he took over  as CM in 2013.

It was a record 12th budget for Siddharamaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio. It was the fourth as Chief Minister. He, as Finance Minister in Janata Dal regime, had presented the Budget for seven times. The Budget was Siddharamaiah’s last opportunity to shore up support before the 2018 Assembly elections and the Nanjangud and Gundlupet by-elections     on April 9.

It was a Rs. 1.86 lakh crore budget and the proposals include a series of new projects for Mysuru and Bengaluru. For Mysuru, his hometown, Siddharamaiah announced the setting up of a Tennis Academy and an Aero Sports Club. On the outskirts of Mysuru, a 22-km road will be laid at a cost of Rs. 118 crore and this will ease the pressure on inner roads of the city.

The CM has announced a Rs. 50 crore road package to Kodagu and the 28.8 km road between Kollegal and Hanur will be upgraded. A new road will be built from Bengaluru to Kodagu and it will be called Bengaluru-Magadi-Somwarpet Road. This road will be 166-km in length and will be a four-lane road. It will pass through Magadi, Huliyurudurga, Nagamangala, K.R. Pet and reach Somwarpet without touching Mysuru, the CM announced.

A super-speciality government hospital in Mysuru will be a reality and funds will be allocated. New airports (or airstrips) will be constructed in Karwar, Madikeri and Chikkamagaluru.

Highlights

• Farmers in State to get farm loan up to Rs. 3 lakh with zero interest rate
• Maximum ticket prices in multiplexes across the   State fixed for Rs. 200
• Mountaineering Academy in Chitradurga and Tennis Academy in Mysuru
• Subsidy of Rs. 30,000 for purchasing LPG driven auto- rickshaws
• Govt. to implement Seventh Pay Commission   recommendations
• Rs. 175 crore granted for Bahubali’s Mahamasthakabhisheka in Shravanabelagola
• New airports to be constructed in Karwar, Madikeri and Chikkamagaluru
• Additional excise on liquor abolished
• Tax on two-wheeler costing above Rs. 1 lakh hiked to 18% from 12%
• Vat on beer, wine, fenny and hard liquor lifted
• Govt. to construct Film City in Himmavu, near  Mysuru for the development of Kannada film industry
• Rice quota under ‘Anna Bhagya scheme’ has been increased to 7 kg from 5 kg
• Rag pickers and house-maids to get smart cards
• Farmers will be trained and guided with new technologies under ‘Raitha Sarathi’ scheme
• Rs. 42 crore granted for the development of lakes in Bengaluru
• Govt medical colleges will commence DNB post graduate course, to overcome the shortage of specialized doctors in govt hospitals.
• Spectacles and story books with social message proposed for school children.
• Shoes, socks, chudidhars for girl students from Class 8 to 10 proposed
• One ambulance service will be provided for a radius of 10 to 15 km
• Gold medal winner in Olympics to get Rs. 5 crore, silver winner to get Rs. 3 crore and bronze winner to get Rs. 2 crore
• Loan limitation for Women entrepreneurs increased from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 2 crore
• Rs. 20 crore earmarked for World Kannada meet – 2017
• 100 water bodies to be filled up in deep forest to prevent animal migration
• Rs. 14,061 allocated for rural development
• Women self-help groups to run ‘Saviruchi Sanchari Canteens’
• 1,000 public toilets to be constructed in Bengaluru city
• Rs, 88 crore allotted for the widening of Hebbal flyover
• 1.5 lakh engineering and medical students to get free laptops
• Bengaluru to become electronic vehicle capital of India
• Karnataka One Centre, on the lines on Bengaluru One to be set up in 9 districts
• Rs 400 crore for land acquisition for Chennai-Bengaluru-Chitradurga corridor
• Cloud seeding at Rs 30 crore to tackle drought situation
• 6 new govt medical colleges in Karwar, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Bidar, and Koppal
• To support Coconut growers ‘Neera policy’Rs. 5,080 crore allotted for agricultural sector
• 25 lakh farmers to get agricultural loans
• 49 new Taluks announced in 21 districts
•  Mekedatu Dam project to be implemented