Karnataka Assembly passes supplementary estimates

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly today passed the first installment of Supplementary estimates for 2013-14 for Rs 7,743.64 crore, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah refuting opposition charge that the government faced shortfall in revenue collection.
"Recovery of resources was on expected lines inspite of below par receipts from motor vehicles tax and mining to the extent of Rs 350 crore," Siddaramaiah, who holds the Finance portfolio, said in his reply.
Siddaramaiah said government is confident of achieving the target of Rs 98,321 crore tax collection as receipts from commercial tax, stamp duty and state excise is satisfactory. "Till October end, we had tax receipts of Rs 46,724 crore, which is 48 per cent of the target," he said.

Moreover, it is a satisfying result as the state had faced elections in May this year, Siddaramaiah said.
He said Karnataka had witnessed 13 per cent growth in receipts from various accounts compared to last year. The growth from state excise and commercial tax was at 11.5 per cent and was much better compared to neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh (6 per cent), Tamil Nadu (4 per cent) Kerala (12 per cent) and Maharashtra (7 per cent), Siddaramaiah said.
The supplementary estimates include Rs 811 crore of central assistance, Siddaramaiah said.

The government has also sought to earmark Rs 100 crore for the Hyderabad Karnataka Development Board, Rs 100 crore for land acquisition to undertake railway projects, Rs 500 crore for clearing pending bills towards road works and Rs 500 crore for the purpose of loan waiver scheme.

The additional estimates are over and above the Rs 1,21,611 crore expenditure approved as the revised budget by the state legislature.
Opposition Leader H D Kumaraswamy asked the government to allocate funds for waiver of loans of grape and pomegranate farmers facing crop loss.
The government had sought to incur additional expenditure, which interestingly included increase in vehicle allowance to legislators from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 each per annum.
It also included taking up of road development works to the tune of Rs 500 crore and enhancing the allocation for cost-sharing railway projects.