Opposition parties on Friday termed the State Budget as disappointing without generating new employment, not proposing to fill vacant government posts, burdening people with additional debt, and utilising it to criticise the NDA government at the Centre.
Democratic Youth Federation of India State president Muneer Katipalla and secretary Basavaraja Poojara in a statement said Mr. Siddaramaiah did not propose any measures for employment generation; nor he proposed to fill over 2.5 lakh vacant government posts. There was no mention about regularising services of guest teachers and lecturers in schools and colleges. “Restricting Yuva Nidhi unemployment stipend only to previous year’s graduates has disappointed thousands who have remained unemployed for the last 5-10 years”.
Decisions to scrap the New Education Policy and the APMC Act amendment were welcome measures. Implementing the five guarantees and increasing taxes on vehicles, stamp duty and excise amounts to giving from one hand and snatching from the other.
Dakshina Kannada MP and BJP State president Nalin Kumar Kateel said it was a vindictive Budget against the Central government and its policies with Mr. Siddaramaiah targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“It demonstrates strife with the Central government in a federal system. There are no mentions for the growth of the State while major portion of taxes are being set apart to implement the poll guarantees,” Mr. Kateel said.
There were instances of the government raising loans for COVID-19 management and development. However, Mr. Siddaramaiah raises loans to implement the poll guarantees, he criticised.
Mangaluru South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath termed the Budget as hollow without any new initiatives. While criticising the Centre, Mr. Siddaramaiah appears to have accepted that his government will not undertake any development works.
DYFI Dakshina Kannada president B.K. Imtiyaz said the Budget is disappointing for the coast without any new initiatives or schemes for the region. There is no mention about the new government college for Mangaluru nor are there any steps proposed to regulrise services of the guest faculty.
