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
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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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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