Ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, the Karnataka government has proposed an additional grant of Rs 10 crore for the rehabilitation of families affected by the 2024 landslides in Meppadi, Wayanad. The allocation has been included in the supplementary estimates for 2025–26 (third and final instalment) tabled in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday, March 23.
Last year, the Karnataka government faced strong criticism from the Opposition for extending Rs 10 crore in relief funds to Wayanad. Defending the expenditure then, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had argued in the Legislative Council that the assistance was a humanitarian obligation. “Wayanad witnessed heavy rainfall and landslips and hundreds of people died. Should we not be humane? It is our dharma and responsibility to help,” he had said.
The total supplementary estimates for the financial year amount to Rs 14,767.89 crore. These allocations cover rehabilitation, legal expenditure, international engagement, and pending payments for government events.
A significant portion of the supplementary provisions has been set aside for legal expenses related to cases before the Supreme Court of India. The government has allocated an additional Rs 20 lakh as remuneration to senior advocate Kapil Sibal for his appearances on behalf of Karnataka in a writ petition. A further Rs 40 lakh has been earmarked for his representation in a case in which top Karnataka bureaucrats approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on contempt proceedings initiated by the High Court over alleged non-compliance with a 2017 directive to return more than 350 acres of land to the Jamnalal Bajaj Seva Trust.
The state has also provided Rs 10 crore for the Karnataka government’s delegation to participate in the 2026 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Kloster, Switzerland. According to the estimates, this allocation covers travel, participation, and associated expenses.
In addition, the government has set aside Rs 16.3 crore to clear outstanding bills from the Chief Minister’s conventions held for beneficiaries of various schemes across the districts of Haveri, Vijayanagar, and Hassan. These events were organised to highlight delivery of welfare schemes and engage with programme beneficiaries.