Misuse of Funds for Scheduled Castes: Opposition Leader R. Ashoka Critiques Budget

 Bengaluru

The Congress government's budget has come under fire for failing to implement numerous announcements made in the previous year's budget. R. Ashoka, the leader of the opposition, accused the government of misusing funds allocated for scheduled castes and engaging in opportunistic politics. He demanded that the government answer for these failures and insisted that no new taxes should be imposed on the public in the coming year.

Speaking during a discussion in the Legislative Assembly, Ashoka remarked that the budget is not visionary but rather hastily drafted, lacking focus on job creation and economic development. He criticized the government for neglecting funding for universities while students were reportedly expressing despair over their educational prospects.

Ashoka outlined that the current budget allocates only 17.8% for capital expenditure, while the state faces a debt repayment issue of ₹26,474 crore annually. With a revenue shortfall of ₹19,262 crore, he highlighted the state’s total debt burden amounting to ₹7, 64,655 crore.

In comparison to the previous BJP government's borrowing during the pandemic, Ashoka claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has borrowed excessively, amounting to ₹4,91,000 crore, raising concerns about fiscal responsibility and economic management.