Union Budget overlooks K’taka’s priorities: Dr Mallikarjun

Davanagere: Davanagere Member of Parliament Dr Prabha Mallikarjun on Sunday said the Union Budget has failed to extend adequate allocations or special priority to Karnataka, despite the state being a major contributor to the country’s GDP and central tax revenues.

Reacting to the Budget, she said the Centre’s approach reflected continued neglect of Karnataka’s legitimate demands. Dr Mallikarjun pointed out that repeated representations seeking the upgradation of the Shivamogga–Honnali–Malebennur–Harihar–Mariyamanahalli stretch of State Highway-25 (SH-25) had not evoked any response from the Union government.

She said key demands such as the establishment of an Eklavya Model Residential School in Jagalur taluk and the setting up of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the Raichur region had been completely ignored in the Budget.

“The idea of building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ must rest on equitable and adequate allocation of resources to all states,” the MP said, adding that despite repeated appeals by the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, state ministers and Members of Parliament, Karnataka’s justified demands had not been addressed.

Dr Mallikarjun expressed concern that the Budget did not include any announcement on increasing honorariums for ASHA workers, anganwadi workers, cooks and helpers, calling it a significant omission. Referring to the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme, under which the Centre had announced the creation of two crore jobs, she sought clarity on how many jobs had actually been generated so far.

She also noted that Karnataka continues to lead at the national level in sectors such as information technology, deep-tech, start-ups, higher education and research, but the Budget did not reflect financial support commensurate with the state’s contribution.

The MP said budgetary allocations should have been aligned with the representations submitted by Karnataka to the 16th Finance Commission. The absence of fair tax devolution, expected fund transfers and respect for the principles of fiscal federalism was a matter of serious concern, she added.

Overall, she said, the Union Budget once again reflected a step-motherly approach towards Karnataka and failed to address the needs of states that contribute significantly to the national exchequer.