Kumaraswamy refutes reports of Cong-JDS differences on budget

Refuting reports of differences between the Congress and JDS on presenting a full fledged state budget, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today said he planned to table a new budget in the first or second week of July.

"It is a personal suggestion of Siddaramaiah and it would be considered for discussion at the ministerial meeting to be held in the next two days to prepare for the budget presentation," Kumaraswamy said at a meet-the-press programme here.

Former Chief Minister and Chairman of the Congress-JDS coordination committee Siddaramaiah had last week expressed his strong reservations over presenting a new full fledged budget, saying there was no need for such an exercise.

Siddaramaiah had said he had already tabled the budget as chief minister a few months ago.

Kumaraswamy had, however, strongly pushed for a new budget and took up the issue with Congress president Rahul Gandhi during his meeting with him in New Delhi yesterday and later said he had got the go-ahead from him.

He said the coalition government planned to present its first budget in the first or second week of July.

Kumraswamy also assured farmers of his government's commitment to waive farm loans in a "scientific way."