A file photo of Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot addressing the joint session, in the Assembly hall in Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: File photo
Even as both ruling Congress and the principal opposition BJP are divided over the party leadership, the Budget session of the Karnataka legislature, which will get underway on March 3, is expected to be a turbulent one.
The opposition is eager to corner the Siddaramaiah-led government on the hike in prices of all essential services, and the bills on regulating micro-finance institutions, and the proposed splitting of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). On the other hand, the Congress is expected to taunt the saffron party over the ‘gross injustice’ to Karnataka by the Centre in devolution of taxes and the tussle over leadership within the Karnataka BJP.
The session will commence with the address by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to a joint session of the State legislature. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who holds the Finance portfolio, is scheduled to present his record 16th budget on March 7. The size of the budget is expected to touch ₹4 lakh crore.
Key bills to be presented
The government is expected to table a few prominent Bills, including the Karnataka Micro Loan and Small Loan (Prevention of Coercive Actions) Bill, 2025, for cracking the whip on unregistered and unlicensed micro finance institutions that employ coercive means to recover loans given to poor people. The Bill would replace an ordinance. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil is expected to introduce amendments to the Karnataka Pawnbrokers Act, 1961, Karnataka Moneylenders Act, 1961, and Karnataka Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act, 2004.
At the centre of the debate would be the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, which proposes to split the BBMP. A joint legislature committee, headed by Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad, submitted its report to Assembly Speaker U. T. Khader recommending revision of the Bill. The BJP and JD(S) have been accusing the government of dividing the city and damaging ‘Brand Bengaluru’.
Instead of passing the Bill, the opposition is expected to press for a debate on the findings of the report given by the 13-member legislature panel.
As the government has proposed to close nine universities, the opposition is all set to oppose the Bill that proposes to set up an integrated agriculture and horticulture university in Mandya.
Price rise and other issues
With the cost of several essentials increasing, with taxes and prices going up, the opposition is expected to seek a debate on price hikes.
The Siddaramaiah-led government began 2025 by increasing fares of road transport corporations across Karnataka and Namma Metro in Bengaluru. Earlier, it had hiked prices of Nandini milk (though by offering extra milk per sachet), fuel and liquor, among other things.
This has given ammunition to the opposition to argue that the government is taxing people, unable to bear the fiscal burden of funding the five guarantee schemes.
Issues such as alleged diversion of funds under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan for implementing guarantee schemes, infrastructure bottlenecks in Bengaluru city, Karnataka Lokayukta giving clean chit to the Chief Minister and his wife in alleged MUDA scam, tension in Udayagiri in Mysuru and subsequent handling of the issue by the Home Department, alleged assault on a bus conductor for not speaking Marathi in the border district of Belagavi, introduction of e-khata system and inaccurate e-khata records causing delays and drop in registrations, are expected to witness a heated debate between the ruling and opposition benches during the three-week session.
The government is expected to counter these charge by exposing discrimination done to the State in devolution of taxes, reduction in NABARD funding and delay by the Centre in granting clearances for long-pending irrigation projects.
Caste census
Another question is whether the Budget session will see tabling of the much-delayed Socio-Economic and Education Survey (caste census) report. Though Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has declared that his government is committed to implementing it, with many within his own government are opposing it, the report remains a contentious issue.
Published – March 01, 2025 01:05 pm IST
