Siddaramaiah to present ‘pro-people budget’

The finances of the State are sound and resource mobilisation, except in the Transport Department, has shown an upswing despite the economic slowdown and the fall in the overall growth rate in the country, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said.

He told The Hindu at Gurmitkal in Yadgir district on Sunday that there was no cut in the plan size in the current financial year and despite a marginal shortfall in the targets fixed for the resource mobilisation in the Transport department, the government could meet the plan targets due to the better performance of other key departments.

He said the shortfall in achieving the target for the Transport department was mainly due to the steep fall in the registration of new vehicles.

Asked if the 2014-15 State Budget would be a populist one keeping in mind the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Siddaramaiah replied in the negative.

“Elections come and go. For the sake of elections, fiscal policies of the State government will not be altered with an eye on votes.”

Mr. Siddaramaiah said the budget would be “pro-people” and “inclusive growth-oriented”, covering all sections of society with the stress on ensuring social justice. He said agriculture, irrigation, education, health and infrastructure development would be the priority sectors.

On the dissatisfaction among senior legislators such as A.B. Maalakaraddy and Malikayya Guttedar over their failure to get ministerial berths, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he understood their grievances, which were genuine. “But we cannot accommodate all the senior leaders in the Ministry or give representation to all the districts… the districts which did not get representation will be rewarded in the appointments to the boards and corporations.”