Arrack, lottery ban entails Rs 1,500 cr loss for K'taka

Bangalore, Mar 16 (UNI) Karnataka will incur a potential revenue loss of aabout Rs 1,500 crore due to the ban on sale of arrack and lottery, effective from next fiscal, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said today.

Speaking to newspersons here after presenting the budget for 2007-08, he said the Government would make up the loss through the natural growth the state witnessed in revenue collections, besides enhanced devolution of funds from the Centre in view of the high growth.

Mr Yediyurappa said a slew of welfare programmes, including farm loan waiver, pension scheme for the old aged, widows and devadasis, announced in the budget would touch nearly two million families, majority of them in rural areas.

Referring to northern Karnataka, he said that despite five years had lapsed since accepting the recommendations of the Nanjundappa Committee on removing regional imbalance, no effort had been made to implement them. This Government had formulated a seven-year programme to ensure greater development of the region by releasing Rs 1,576 crore in this budget.

UNI