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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday rejected the criticism made by the BJP, calling "political" remarks after the BJP criticised the government over the financial proposals made.
"BJP is reacting politically. They are opposing it politically," Siddaramaiah said while responding to questions about the BJP's claim that the government does not have sufficient funds for capital expenditure. On presenting the state's 2026-27 Budget in the Vidhana Soudha, he said, "I have presented the budget of 2026-27. The size of the budget is Rs 4,48,004 crore. This is a 9.4% increase since last year's budget." He also spoke about the impact of GST changes on the state's revenue, saying Karnataka continues to remain among the top states in tax collection despite losses due to rate rationalisation. "Even though we have been hit by GST, we are number two in the country in GST collection. We have lost about 10,000 crores in taxes due to this," he said. Highlighting welfare spending, the Chief Minister said the government has allocated significant funds for its flagship guarantee schemes. "We are spending Rs 51,000 crores on all guarantee schemes. We have spent 1,21,598 crores on guarantees," Siddaramaiah said, adding that the government has maintained fiscal discipline while implementing welfare programmes. He also provided details about the state's debt position. "How much will our debt be? Rs 8 lakh 24 thousand crores. It is also included in the budget... It will be 24.94%. So we are within the limit," he said. Siddaramaiah also said the state government had spent more on development than the financial assistance it received from the Centre. "The Centre has given us Rs 11,000 crore. We should have been given 30,000 crore. We have spent 37,000 crore," he said. Earlier today, Siddaramaiah presented the 2026-27 State Budget in the Vidhana Soudha, marking his historic 17th Budget. The total outlay of the Karnataka State Budget has been pegged at Rs 4,48,004 crore, with a focus on technology-driven growth, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability. Presenting the Budget, Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka plays a distinctive role in national and international trade, and rapid developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are transforming global production systems. He emphasised that innovations in science and technology are increasingly shaping the trajectory of the state. In this context, he said the Budget has been presented with responsibility and foresight to move forward with the resolve to "turn fire into light." (ANI)
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