Karnataka coalition panel to finalise new budget proposals

Bengaluru: The coordination committee of the Karnataka coalition partners will deliberate on the new state budget proposals on Sunday, said Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Thursday.

“The coordination committee of the JD-S and Congress will discuss on the weekend the proposals for inclusion in the state budget for 2018-19 Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will present in the assembly on July 5,” Parameshwara told reporters.

The five-member committee, headed by Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as chairman, has Parameshwara and Congress state unit in-charge K.C. Venugopal, Kumaraswamy and Danish Ali of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) as convener.

“As Ali is the convenor, he will decide on the time and venue of the meeting in consultation with the committee’s members,” said Parameshwara.

The committee will go through the report of the sub-committee set up by the coalition government on June 14 to draft a common minimum programme (CMP) from the poll manifestoes of both the coalition parties.

The five-member sub-committee has former Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily, state Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar of the Congress and Public Works Department Minister H.D. Revanna of the JD-S and Chief Minister’s Economic Adviser S. Subramanya.

“The sub-committee has recommended some of the promises made in both the manifestos, including socio-economic and welfare schemes and farm loan waiver as part of the CMP,” said Parameshwara.

Kumaraswamy, who holds the Finance portfolio, will present the state budget for this fiscal (FY 2019) on July 5 in the 10-day monsoon session of the new Legislative Assembly, convened from July 2.

“The CMP will be implemented through budgetary allocations and its details will be spelt out in the state budget by Kumaraswamy,” said Parameshwara.

The coordination committee will also sort out differences cropping up between post-poll alliance partners on the budget and power sharing.

IANS