CPI(M) stages protest against State Budget in Kalaburagi

CPI(M) protests in Kalaburagi against the State Budget, claiming it favors corporate interests over people's welfare and development.

Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Kalaburagi on Saturday, criticising the State Budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday.

The demonstration was led by district secretary K. Neela. After the protest, the party leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through the office of the Deputy Commissioner, outlining their objections to the Budget proposals.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Neela said the ₹4.48 lakh crore State Budget, presented as a pro-people Budget aimed at the development of all sections, in reality favours private and corporate interests. She alleged that the Budget places an additional burden of ₹1.34 lakh crore in borrowings on the State and reflects an increasing dependence on loans to meet government expenditure.

The memorandum also criticised the State government for not indicating any opposition to the labour codes introduced by the BJP-led Union government and for failing to address issues related to land acquisition carried out under the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board Act.

It stated the Budget did not propose solutions for those affected by land acquisition or for the regularisation of land cultivated under bagar hukum and forest lands.

The party expressed concern over allocations for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme. It said that although the sharing pattern between the Centre and the State had changed to 60:40, the allocation for the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department had been reduced to ₹26,559 crore, ₹176 crore less than the previous year.