Budget people-friendly, development oriented, says Kumaraswamy

Bangalore, Mar 20 (UNI) Complimenting Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for presenting a people-friendly and development-oriented budget for 2006-07, Chief Minsiter H D Kumaraswamy today said the programmes would silence the critics of the Karnataka Development Front Government.

Speaking to newspersons after Mr Yediyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio, presented the budget in the Assembly, he said the proposals and programmes announced in the budget covered all sections of the society.

Mr Yediyurappa, who presented his maiden budget, had taken pains to ensure that allocations were enhanced to critical sectors such as irrigation and social welfare. For a person who had been the leader of the Opposition, he had carried out a creditable exercise, Mr Kumaraswamy said, adding that the government would make all efforts to implement it 100 per cent.

He said the budget covered the Common Minimum Programme announced recently by the KDF, besides incorporating valuable suggestions made by President A P J Abdul Kalam during his joint address to the state Legislature last year to take the state forward.

Stating that some of the schemes announced were pathbreaking, he said Mr Yediyurappa had managed to increase the resource base by over Rs 6,000 crores and ensured that the state maintain a growth rate of over eight per cent.

Addressing reporters separately, Mr Yediyurappa, clarifying various points, said his miaden budget was comprehensive and different from routine budgets. It was pro-farmers, weaker sections, exploited classes, women and youth. ''Our priorities are clear...

that is to facilitate the growth of all sections of the society while emphasising social justice,'' he added.

He said the objective of reducing the interest rate on farm loans to four per cent was to liberate farmers from the clutches of money lenders. In the cooperative sector every effort would be made to advance loans to atleast 20 per cent new farmers, he added.

UNI VK RG RKN1721