On Wednesday, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah presented his 12th budget in Bengaluru announcing a slew of sops.
This budget is important for the Congress government in Karnataka as the state is set to go for Assembly elections in April next year.
Here are the highlights of the Budget:
- Rs 100 crore will be allocated for setting up of Namma Canteens in Bengaluru which will provide breakfast for Rs 5 and lunch/dinner for Rs 10
- Value-added tax on liquor including beer, feni, liqueur and wine will be removed from April 1
- 10,000 liters of water will be provided every month free of cost to residents of slums
- Movie ticket prices capped at Rs 200 at all cinema theatres, including multiplexes
- Eggs for Anganwadi children two days a week from June 2017 across state.
- New airports to be built-in Karwara, Madikeri and Chikkamagaluru.
- Cash prize for Olympic medal winners hiked to Rs 5 crore for gold, Rs 3 crore for silver and Rs 2 crore for bronze medals along with group A govt jobs.
- New scheme of free LPG service for 5 lakh poor families not covered under the Ujjvala scheme announced
- Free laptops to needy students getting admission to engineering, medical, polytechnic and first grade colleges
- Separate toilet facilities will be provided for lady staff in all the police stations in the state.
- High-end motorbikes, above Rs 1 lakh, though will become expensive as MVT increased to 18 per cent from 12 per cent