The government has announced two more new government medical colleges, one in Gadag and the other in Gulbarga, besides the four — in Chamarajanagar, Koppal, Karwar and Kodagu — announced in the budget.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promised in the Assembly on Tuesday adequate funds for providing basic infrastructure in the existing government medical colleges.
The Chief Minister also announced a study centre in the name of social reformer, philosopher and revolutionist, Brahmashree Narayanaguru, at Mangalore University and earmarked Rs. 2 crore for the centre.
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He agreed to increase the Legislators Development Fund from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 2 crore in view of the demand from MLAs.
The Chief Minister said that the quantum will go up next year.
The Karnataka Appropriation Bill 2004 moved by the Chief Minister was passed in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday amid a walkout by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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Other Bills, including the Karnataka Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill 2013 and the Karnataka Value Added Tax (Second Amendment) Bill 2013, were also passed.
Responding to queries by the BJP floor leader Jagadish Shettar on the programmes launched by the BJP government, the formation of new taluks, the status of a sub-committee formed to implement special status extended to Hyderabad-Karnataka region under Article 371 J of the Constitution, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that all the programmes that were implemented by the BJP government would be continued and there was no question of holding them back.
“All ongoing projects would be continued and funds will be allocated for them,” he said.
However, not satisfied with this reply, BJP members staged a walkout. Earlier, BJP members D.N. Jeevaraj and C.T. Ravi and Janata Dal(S) members B.B. Ninganaiah and H.K. Kumaraswamy trouped into the well of the House demanding a package for the Malnad region.
They were forced to withdraw the demand as they did not get support from their party members.
The principal opposition in the Assembly, the Janata Dal(S), lodged a protest by remaining “silent”. Leader of the Opposition H.D. Kumaraswamy refused to pose any questions.
Later, speaking to presspersons, Mr. Kumaraswamy said that he registered his protest by not posing any query, as he was frustrated with Mr. Siddaramaiah trivialising issues raised by the Opposition.
However, the Janata Dal(S) members sought responses from the Chief Minister on issues pertaining to their constituencies.