Karnataka Budget 2023-24: Key takeaways from CM Bommai's speech

News Network
February 17, 2023

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Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on Friday presented the State Budget for FY 2023-24, which had a little something for everyone keeping the upcoming Assembly elections in mind.

Bommai presented a Rs 3.09 lakh crore Budget with gross borrowings of Rs 77,750 crore.

Here are the key takeaways from the Budget:

- In a first in the post-pandemic situation, CM Bommai presented a "revenue surplus" Budget. Revenue receipts were estimated to be Rs 402 crore more than revenue expenditure. The state is expecting a revenue of Rs 32,000 crore against a target of Rs 29,000 crore in revenue collection for the excise department towards the end of this fiscal. The target for 2023-24 is fixed at Rs 35,000 crore, a 20 per cent increase from the previous year's target.

- Bommai said that Karnataka has also brought down the fiscal deficit to 2.6 per cent of GSDP. "As per the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the fiscal deficit needs to be below three per cent. The fiscal deficit is expected to be Rs 60,581 crore," said CM Bommai.

- "The present government has taken the historic decision in respect of constituting a Tribunal for fixing uniform rates for land acquisition under phase-3 of UKP that has been pending for the last several years. Rs 5,000 crore will be released for speedy compensation to farmers and land owners," he said.

- Rs 1,000 crore will be released to commence works on Kalasa-Bandoora Nala Thiruvu Yojane.

- The government has allocated Rs 25,000 crore to the irrigation sector in the current year. And, a total grant of Rs 39,031 crore for agriculture and allied activities in the year 2023-24.

- CM Basavaraj Bommai on Friday announced the construction of a Ram Mandir in Ramanagara and allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the development of temples and mutts.

- Seeking to woo farmers in an election year, Bommai announced an increase in the limit of interest-free short-term loans given to farmers from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh from the coming financial year. The government, Bommai said, has decided to give an additional subsidy of Rs 10,000 in the year 2023-24 under a new scheme 'Bhoo Siri' for 'Kisan Credit Card' holders.

- "Free coaching will be provided to 10,000 youth belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, and Minority Classes," said CM Bommai.

- Increasing significantly compared to last year, Rs 795 crore will be provided in the current year to the six development Corporations belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Various schemes will be implemented at a total cost of Rs 1,842 crore including the additional grants provided to the Corporations and the amounts already available with them.

- He said that 20,000 houses will be built for the economically weaker section in Bengaluru this year.

- The government will open a web portal for the adoption of stray dogs, Bommai announced in his speech.

- "With seven cities being selected in the State under Smart City Mission, Rs 5,900 crore has been released, out of which 506 works worth Rs 4,157 crore have been completed," the chief minister said.

- He said the approval has been given for constructing houses for 5,188 pouranoukaras in the State out of which 3,733 houses have been completed. In the current year, under the 'Poura Asare' scheme, it is proposed to construct houses for 5,000 houseless Pouranoukaras at a cost of Rs 300 crore.

- CM Bommai announced that the government will build integrated township districts neighbouring Bengaluru. "Expression of Interest has been invited from private organisations to build integrated Townships in Mysuru, Chikkaballapura, Chithradurga, Haveri, Kolar, and Ramanagara under Public-Private- Partnership model. These Townships will give a new dimension to City planning and will create better lifestyles and working environments," Bommai said.

- Electricity connections will be provided to about 2.35 lakh un-electrified households at a cost of Rs 124 crore under 'Belaku' scheme. Also, the government will replace 1.37 lakh defunct transformers and also install new 67,713 transformers, and provide electricity connections to 4,268 borewells under Ganga Kalyana Yojane and various other people-friendly measures.

- Under the Amrutha Nagarothana scheme, Rs 6,000 crore worth of works are being implemented in Bengaluru city. Development of a total of 108 kms road will be taken up under the High-Density Corridors scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 273 crore. To ensure that there is a free flow of rainwater and to avoid flooding, Rs 1,813 crore has been provided to undertake the development of a total of 195 kms of drainage and culverts.

- To reduce the traffic congestion in Bengaluru city, Bommai proposed to develop 75 important junctions with the highest traffic congestion at a cost of Rs 150 crore. As a supplement to this, traffic congestion will be reduced by using Artificial Intelligence for the management of traffic signals by adopting Seamless Signalling.

- Rural Sports Meets will be conducted from the village level to the State level to introduce and encourage rural and traditional sports like Kho-Kho, Wrestling, Kabaddi, Kambala, Bullock Cart race, and others to the children. One well-equipped Sports Court in every Gram Panchayat jurisdiction will be constructed under the NREGA scheme at a cost of Rs 5 crore.

- Karnataka has recorded the highest growth rate in GST collection amongst big States of the country. For the year 2022-23, the revenue collection target for Commercial Taxes Department was fixed at Rs 72,000 crore against which revenue collection of (excluding GST compensation) Rs 83,010 crore is achieved by January end. This is more than the Budget estimates by 15 per cent.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israel has launched a new act of aggression on a residential neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing and injuring about two dozen civilians.

The Israeli regime's military said in a statement that its forces carried out a so-called precise strike in a residential apartment in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.

The aggression targeted residential areas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. 

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun condemned the airstrike, calling it a clear demonstration of Tel Aviv’s disregard for repeated international calls to halt violations on Lebanese soil.

“Israel refuses to implement international resolutions and all efforts aimed at ending the escalation and restoring stability,” Aoun said, urging the international community to take action to prevent further aggression.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the attack, holding the international community accountable. 

“The international community bears responsibility and continues to provide cover for these attacks as long as it does not restrain the occupiers,” said Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the group’s political bureau.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli army carried out a strike “in the heart of Beirut."

Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation following recommendations from top Israeli security officials.

Two senior US officials commented on the Israeli strike.

The first official said that Israel did not notify Americans in advance about the attack. "We were informed immediately after the strike was carried out."

The second senior official said that the "US knew for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but did not know in advance the timing, location, or target of the strike."

Speaking from the site of the Israeli strike, Lebanese MP Ali Ammar condemned the attack as part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted "all of Lebanon since the Washington-sponsored ceasefire."

He stated that "any attack on Lebanon is a violation of red lines; this aggression is part and parcel of the entity that targets Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty, and security of citizens."

Ammar went on to say the resistance is responding with "utmost wisdom, patience, and will confront the enemy at the appropriate time."

"Unfortunately, the enemy is emboldened to commit its aggression by voices within Lebanon that have turned themselves into tools that support its aggression," he added.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The military claimed the attack targeted “a Hamas training compound” used to plan and carry out attacks against the regime -- a claim that has frequently been made without evidence.

Hamas rejected the allegations as “a blatant lie aimed at justifying the massacre,” stating it had “no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon” and that the targeted site was merely “an open sports field.”

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023.

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coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

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Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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