Bangalore: Sadananda Gowda Presents State Budget - Highlights

What's in it for Mangalore
 
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (PS)
 
Mangalore, Mar 21: The budget presented by chief minister Sadananda Gowda made the following proposals for Dakshina Kannada district, particularly Mangalore:

- Rs 1 crore for ‘Jain Vidya Peeta’ to be commissioned in Mangalore University
- Rs 20 crore for the construction of a new veterinary college in Puttur
- Oceanarium of international standard in Pilikula under PPP project.
- Folk culture promotion at the cost of Rs 5 crore at Pilikula park.
- Hotel management institutions to be started in Mangalore at the cost of Rs 2 crore.
- Rs 1 crore grant for Kambala.
- Rs 2 crore grant for Rani Abbakka Bhavana in Ullal.
- Rs 50 crore for the construction of vented dams and ports in coastal districts.
- Rs 146 crore for 24/7 water supply under KUDCEMP project with the aid of ADB
- Vajapayee Arogyashree project to be extended to Mangalore
- Coastal corridor to be improved with tourism department.
- Social security for age group of 65 to 80 years.
- Rs 1 lac aid for house construction and Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 aid under housing project.
- Rs 84 crore aid for 4 multi-skill development centre with partial help of GIZ-IS (German company) and government of India.
- Government grant for NGOs tending 50 cows in 10 acres land.
- Saubhagya Sanjeevini project to be extended.
- Rs 4 crore for workforce of Western Ghats.
- Seashore development work in Ullal at the cost of Rs 170 crore with ADB loan.
 
State assemply deputy speaker Yogish Bhat in a press release congratulated CM Sadananda Gowda for providing the above and many more projects to DK district and Mangalore.

Earlier News

Bangalore, Mar 21 (IANS): Smoking, chewing tobacco and drinking will be more expensive while ready-to-eat chapatis and paranthas will be cheaper in Karnataka from April.

Presenting a revenue surplus budget for 2012-13 Wednesday, Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda told legislators that sales tax on diesel would be reduced to 16.75 percent from 18 percent.

"I propose to levy (charge) five percent value added tax (VAT) on beedies and increase it by two percent on tobacco products to 17 percent from 15 percent. But VAT on ready-to-cook chapathi and parantha, will be reduced by nine percent to five percent from 14 percent," Gowda said in his maiden budget speech in Kannada.

The chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, has proposed to drastically reduce sales tax on high speed diesel sold to foreign-going vessels by a whopping 17 percent to one percent from 18 percent.

Pooja Gandhi at budget session

Sadananda Gowda's family at budget session

Though collection from excise duty for this fiscal (2011-12) is expected to surpass the department's target of Rs.9,200 crore by Rs.300 crore to Rs.9,500 crore, Gowda sought to increase the additional excise duty on Indian made liquor (IML) like beer and low alcoholic beverage by 7.5 percent to 10 percent across 17 slabs.

"With effective enforcement, we expect a volume growth of seven percent in liquor sales across the state in the new fiscal to achieve a revenue target of Rs.10,775 crore," Gowda informed the lawmakers.

Drinking fruit wine, however, will be much cheaper as the budget proposes to reduce additional excise duty on the brew by a whopping 50 percent to promote its consumption.

Sparing paddy, rice, wheat, pulses and their products fully from VAT in the next fiscal too, the budget proposes to reduce VAT on dry chillies by three percent to two percent from five percent.

"Similarly, VAT on un-ginned raw cotton will be reduced by three percent to two percent from five percent and on surgical footwear and black boards by nine percent to five percent from 14 percent, while braille watches will be fully exempted from VAT," Gowda said amid tapping of the desk by the ruling party's (BJP) legislators.

As part of resource mobilisation, the budget proposes to levy 10 percent tax on luxuries provided on structures (decorations) in marriage halls, seminar halls, conventional halls and others.

Partnership firms will continue to be exempted from agricultural income tax in the ensuing fiscal too.

Encouraged by higher revenue from stamp duty and registration fee on sale or purchase of land and buildings for residential and commercial purposes in this fiscal, the chief minister has decided to marginally reduce stamp duty to five percent from six percent on conveyances and sale deeds.

PTI Adds:

Karnataka government today announced that rate of interest on short term crop loan of up to Rs 1 lakh would be reduced to zero from 2012-13 even as it provided Rs 19,660 crore for agriculture and related allied activities.

Presenting the separate Agriculture Budget 2012-13 in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda noted that the rate of interest on short-term loan up to Rs 3 lakh raised through cooperative institutions was reduced to one per cent during 2011-12.

"From 2012-13, the rate of interest will be reduced to zero per cent for short term crop loan up to Rs 1 lakh", Gowda, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said.

Noting that 75 per cent of state farmers are small and marginal, and it is difficult for them to conduct timely agricultural operations because of high cost of farm equipment and scarcity of agricultural labour, he said the Agriculture Department proposes to establish hire-service centres for the farmers to hire tractor and other high-tech implements on rental basis.

Gowda also said that with help of Israeli technology, it has been proposed to establish high technology expert centres for vegetable crop development in Belgaum, pomegranate in Bagalkot and mango development in Kolar districts.

He also announced that a tur technology park in Gulbarga district, maize technology park in Ranebennur, coconut technology park including coconut products research and development unit in Tumkur district's Tiptur taluka would be established.

"This Agriculture Budget contains thinking on new dimensions for integrated development of farmers and other families engaged in agriculture and allied activities in our state", the Chief Minister added.

Other Highlights

- Government high school children to get computers   
- Rs 50 crore for rejuvenation of lakes   
- Rs 200 crores for solid waste disposal unit in Bangalore   
- Rs 5,500 crores for Bangalore infrastructure development
- Rs 200 crore for road work in Bangalore   
- Rs 500 crores for metro rail   
- BBMP and BWSSB to get Rs 1,000 crore each   
- Rs 426 crores for BBMP signal-free corridors  
- Bangalore in budget: 8 transport complexes to come up
- Ready-made garments cheaper    
- Duty on diesel reduced
- Tax on jewellers reduced
- Rs 10,500 allotted for irrigation; Rs 2,921 for agriculture; Rs 301 crore to tackle drought; Rs 1,000 allotted crore to procure fertiliser
- Agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry are priority areas
- Farmers to get loans to minimal interest rates
- 50% rebate on farm equipments
- 20% drop in rainfall despite early monsoons
- Cigarettes, tobacco, beer to cost more Ready-made garments cheaper
- Budget allocation: Sericulture - Rs 293 crores; Rs 200 crores - Organic farming Women and child development - Rs 2,883 crores; housing - Rs 1,439 crores; - Education - Rs 15,071 crs Public works - Rs 5,110 crores; Water resources - Rs 8,101 crores; health and family - Rs 4,260 crores; Animal husbandry - Rs 1,206 crores; Home and transport - Rs 4,288 crores; Rural development and panchayats - Rs 6,896 crores