Karnataka budget 2023: Interest-free loans, self-employment and other Welfare Schemes for minorities

News Network
July 7, 2023

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Bengaluru, July 7: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented his 14th Budget today. The budget this year poses a unique challenge to Siddaramaiah in mobilising resources for the implementation of the Congress’s five guarantees while making space for other development works. 

Here are the Welfare Schemes for Minority Communities announced by the CM in the maiden budget of the new Congress government. 

-- Rs 50 crore will be provided to protect and develop 40,000 Wakf properties in the state

--Interest-free loans will be provided to the tune of Rs. 20 lakh to minority students to pursue graduate and postgraduate courses in prestigious foreign universities with a global ranking of under 250.

-- To promote self-employment opportunities, for the loan amount availed from the banks, a subsidy up to 20% of the loan amount up to a maximum of Rs.1 lakh will be provided to 10,000 unemployed youth belonging to minority communities.

--A new scheme 'Swawalambi Sarathi will be introduced to encourage self-employment of the unemployed youth belonging to Minority communities. Under this, a subsidy of 50% up to a maximum of Rs. 3 lakh will be provided towards purchase of four wheeler vehicles.

--Rs 54 crore alloted for the construction of all the 126 incomplete Shadimahals and Community halls

-- A loan of Rs. 1 lakh per annum at a subsidized interest rate of 2% will be provided to minority students under the 'Arivu' - educational loan scheme. The eligible beneficiaries will be students who get admission through CET to 28 professional courses such as Engineering, Medical, etc. During the financial year, Rs. 75 crore will be reserved for this scheme.

--Language labs will be established at a cost of Rs. 5 crore in all the Minority Morarji Desai Residential Schools to improve Kannada and English language skills of students belonging to minority communities.

--Skill development training of minority youths will be started in the districts of Ramanagar, Belagavi, Davangere, Kalaburagi and Dakshina Kannada at a cost of Rs. 4 crore.

--A grant of Rs. 8 Crores will be provided to impart training through prestigious institutions for two years for the students studying in minority pre-university residential colleges in order to prepare them for NET, JEE, CET and other entrance examinations.

--A ten month residential coaching program for IAS/KAS and other competitive exams will be offered to the minority aspirants in Haj Bhavan, Bengaluru, in collaboration with reputed coaching institutions.

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News Network
November 28,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 28: Karnataka Health Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday handed over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the severe distress faced by farmers due to crashing crop prices.

PM Modi arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport en route to Udupi, where Gundu Rao welcomed him and submitted the letter. The chief minister’s message stressed that farmers are suffering heavy losses because maize and green gram are being bought far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The state urged the Centre to immediately begin procurement at MSP.

According to the letter, Karnataka has a bumper harvest this year—over 54.74 lakh metric tons of maize and 1.98 lakh metric tons of green gram—yet farmers are unable to secure fair prices. Against the MSP of ₹2,400/MT for maize and ₹8,768/MT for green gram, market rates have plunged to ₹1,600–₹1,800 and ₹5,400 respectively.

The chief minister has requested the Centre to:

• Direct NAFED, FCI and NCCF to start MSP procurement immediately.
• Ensure ethanol units purchase maize directly from farmers or FPOs.
• Increase Karnataka’s ethanol allocation, citing high production capacity.
• Stop maize imports, which have depressed domestic prices.
• Relax quality norms for green gram, allowing up to 10% discoloration due to rains.

The letter stresses that MSP is crucial for farmer dignity and income stability and calls for swift central intervention to prevent a deepening crisis.

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News Network
November 22,2025

The Karnataka government has announced a 50% rebate on pending traffic and transport fines. The discount is available from November 21 to December 12.

The rebate applies to all traffic e-challans and violation cases booked by the RTO between 1991–92 and 2019–20. Officials clarified that the offer is not applicable to pending tax dues and is restricted only to traffic-violation fines.

Across Karnataka, more than 4 lakh RTO cases remain pending, including those involving transport vehicles. While thousands of vehicle owners have already cleared their dues, the department expects to generate substantial revenue through this limited-period rebate.

How to Pay and Avail the Discount

There are three ways to check and pay your pending fines:

1. Through Mobile Apps
Available on both Play Store and App Store:
•    Karnataka State Police (KSP) app
•    KarnatakaOne app
•    ASTraM app

Steps:
•    Enter your vehicle number in any of the above apps
•    Verify the photo/details of your vehicle
•    Pay the fine with the 50% discount applied

2. Visit a Traffic Police Station

You can pay your pending fine at any nearby traffic police station.

3. Visit the Traffic Management Centre (TMC)

•    Location: First Floor, Infantry Road, near Indian Express, Bengaluru

Transport Commissioner Yogeesh A M said, “We don't issue e-challans, so there's no online payment system.”

The department estimates ₹52 crore in pending RTO fines up to March 2020. “With the 50% rebate, we expect to collect around ₹25 crore if all dues are cleared,” he added.

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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