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Calling the Karnataka Budget "anti-development," the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday attacked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for announcing 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public works contract and said that this is against the "spirit of the Constitution."
Former Karnataka CM and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said that the Budget presented today has increased the state's debt load. "This budget has neither got certain purpose nor any physical consultation. The state's debt load has increased, and last year's performance was very poor. It is pushing the state into a financial crisis...This is an anti-development budget," Bommai told ANI. BJP leader CT Ravi said, "It is against the spirit of the constitution. Dr BR Ambedkar was against religion-based reservation." The total expenditure estimated for the financial year 2025-26 is Rs.4,09,549 crores, which includes revenue expenditure of Rs. 3,11,739 crores, capital bottom expenditure of Rs. 71,336 crores and loan repayment of Rs. 26,474 crores. Minority youth will be encouraged to launch new start-ups through the Karnataka Minority Development Corporation. For the repair and renovation of Waqf properties and for providing infrastructure and protection of Muslim burial grounds, an amount of Rs. 150 crores has been provided. In the Budget, 4 per cent of public works contracts will now be reserved for Muslims under a category called Category-II B while presenting the Karnataka government's Budget. Reservation will be provided in the procurement of goods and services under various government departments, corporations, and institutions for suppliers belonging to SC, ST, Category-I, Category-II A, and Category-II B, up to Rs 1 crore, in which Category-II B refers to Muslims. In this budget, the yearly grant of Rs. 3,000 crores that was being provided to Bengaluru City has been enhanced to Rs 7,000 crores in the current year. According to the Budget, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has yielded an additional revenue of Rs. 4,556 crores through various reforms and substantially increasing property tax collection. The Budget Session of the Karnataka Assembly commenced on March 3. (ANI)
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