more-in There has been mixed reaction to the State Budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Friday. Srikrishna Rao Kodancha, president of the Udupi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI), told The Hindu that the State Budget was a disappointing one for the industry sector. There was nothing for the Start-ups or industrial growth in it. The budget was filled with populist schemes. “The budget had been drawn up with an eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections. It is a White Paper on promises, which are hardly going to be fulfilled. The government could have announced some concession for the Start-ups,” he said. Satyanarayana Udupa Japti, general secretary of the district unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, said that the budget was a mixed bag for the farmers in the State. Though some of the schemes appeared to be good, there was not much clarity on them. But the budget was a disappointing one for the farmers of Udupi district. There was nothing in the budget on either expediting the Varahi Irrigation Project or for reviving the ailing Brahmavar Cooperative Sugar Factory, both of which were important for the farmers here, he said. The reactions of the political parties were on expected lines. Bhaskarrao Kidiyoor, spokesperson of the district unit of the Congress, said that the budget had given importance to correcting the regional imbalances and laid emphasis on rural development and irrigation. It had also given importance to e-governance. The farmers had received a good deal in the budget, he said. However, Mattar Ratnakar Hegde, president of the district unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), termed it a “directionless budget”. There was no provision for a complete loan waiver of farmers in it. There was nothing in it for the fisheries sector. Education and healthcare sectors had been neglected. “The budget has failed to meet the expectations of the people. If the BJP came to power in the State, it will have to present a new budget,” he said. Yogish Shetty, president of district unit of Janata Dal (Secular), said that there was no provision for full waiver of loans of farmers in the budget. There was nothing in the budget for the coastal districts. “This is an election-eve gimmick budget and lacked any value. The new government after the elections will present another budget,” he said.

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