With focus on agrarian economy, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Friday proposed allocation of Rs 12,650 crore in the state 2019-2020 budget for the Congress-JDS coalition government's flagship crop loan waiver scheme.
Aimed at striking urban-rural balance, Kumaraswamy, who has doled out several projects for Bengaluru, also increased additional exercise duty on beer, draught beer, beer manufactured in micro brewery and low alcoholic beverages.
Kumaraswamy, who holds the finance portfolio, presented his government's second budget, amid high octanepolitical drama that saw the opposition BJP boycotting it.
The budget presentation was overshadowed by heightened political developments since morning with Kumaraswamy releasing at a press meet an audio clip of an alleged conversation of state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa luring a JD(S) MLA to destabilise the coalition government in the state.
However, Yeddyurappa, who is the leader of opposition in the assembly, dismissed it as "fake" and a "concocted story."
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