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Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has started preparations for his maiden budget after coming to the coveted post.
The CM has called departmental wise pre-budget meetings starting next week as part of the preparations. Bommai is facing the challenge of reviving the economy, livelihood opportunities in the state which have gone bleak due to the second and third wave of Covid pandemic. With the Assembly elections scheduled for 2023, CM Bommai will have to present a popular as well as pro-reform budget. Bommai is known for his knowledge on finance matters. Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had appointed him as the government's representative in the GST council. However, at a time when the revenue of the government has gone down, Bommai has the compulsion of announcing popular projects. Ahead of state Assembly elections, crucial Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections will alo be held and Bommai will have to win the elections to prove his abilities at a time when BJP high command has announced that next elections will be fought under CM Bommai's leadership putting an end to speculations in the state. Sources explain that the revenue sources of the government have dried up to a great extent. The state is presently facing the impact of Covid third wave. CM Bommai is expected to contemplate the extent of possibilities of announcing popular programmes and budget limitations with the officers in the pre-budget meetings. CM Bommai has presented two supplementary budgets. Sources explain that, Health sector will get prominence in the budget as the government will have to tackle Covid third wave. He will have to announce major packages with regards to the major water and irrigation projects, release funds for ramping up Bengaluru infrastructure, Narega scheme, housing projects, Ganga Kalyan Yojana and other crucial projects. Small scale industries, entrepreneurs, film industry, education sector are waiting for the much needed succor from the government. The then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa presented a budget for the state for the financial year 2021-22 on March 8, 2021. --IANS mka/shb/ ( 348 Words) 2022-01-24-15:20:02 (IANS)
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