Bengaluru, Feb 16 (IANS): The budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for 2024-25 lacks commitment and direction, said leader of opposition R. Ashoka on Friday.

"This is a hopeless budget on all fronts and there is no vision for development of the state contrary to what was claimed by the Congress leaders," said the BJP Leader.

Speaking to reporters here, Ashoka said, "This budget lacks foresight, fails to instill confidence in the public and has no new initiatives to address the needs of farmers, women, poor, youth, and industry. It is only decorated with empty slogans and fancy titles. In Siddaramaiah's first term Karnataka's debt rose from Rs 1,39,000 crore to Rs. 2,86,790 crore in just five years.

"The annual interest burden on the state shot up from Rs 8,500 crore to Rs 16,208 crore leaving a debt burden of Rs 44,000 on every citizen. His second term is also pushing the state into a debt crisis.

"Misusing budget speech for political mudslinging is an insult to the constitutional mandate of the government. The shameless act of using budget speech to blame the central government exposes Congress party's existential crisis and reflects Congress' sheer desperation to somehow paint a bad picture of the Modi government ahead of the Lok Sabha polls," said Ashoka.