Overview
- Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in a five-hour reply on Wednesday, said the Rs 1.32 lakh crore borrowing plan keeps the fiscal deficit at 2.95% of GSDP and within the 3% norm.
- He blamed a fall in receipts on last year’s GST rate changes, the end of GST compensation and a lower share of central taxes, citing losses of about Rs 10,000 crore this year and Rs 15,000 crore next year.
- Delhi’s budget, presented Tuesday, set a Rs 1.03 lakh crore outlay with roughly 30% for capital spending and 21.44% or Rs 22,236 crore for a 'green' push that funds trees, pollution control and waste processing.
- Education Minister Ashish Sood backed the plan as a development roadmap and pointed to rising tax collections, as AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged the city is leaning on debt and could add about Rs 23,000 crore next year.
- In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP branded Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s budget 'anti-people' over new levies like a cess on petrol and diesel, and on Wednesday its MLAs walked out after his reply to the House.