Karnataka is set to begin its 14th budget session on Monday, July 3, with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s address to the Assembly House. This will be the first such session after the Congress came to power in the Assembly elections held in May. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance Portfolio of the state, will present the budget worth Rs 3.35 lakh crore on July 7.
It is anticipated that the five schemes announced by the Congress before the elections will be used by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)). Congress had announced Shakti (free bus rides to women), Gruha Jyoti (up to 200 units free electricity for residences), Anna Bhagya (10 kilograms of rice to each member in Below Poverty Line card holders), Gruha Lakshmi (Rs 2000 to women heads in BPL/APL card holders), and Yuva Nidhi (funds to unemployed youths) schemes in the state. The Congress has so far implemented the first three schemes, and is yet to announce the latter two. The ruling party, in turn, is expected to raise the issue of non cooperation by the BJP at the Union government.
According to reports, it is further expected that the Congress will present the bill to repeal the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, and also the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act and Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The Assembly is also expected to witness a confusion as the BJP is yet to select the Leader of the Opposition.