A passenger waiting for a train watches the live telecast of the Union Budget 2025 on Saturday, February 1, at Mangaluru Central Railway Station in Mangaluru.
| Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH
Stating that the Union Budget 2025 a disappointing one, the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee on Saturday, February 1, said the centre has continued neglecting States that were on the development path.
DCC president and former MLC K. Harish Kumar in a statement here said the Budget has provided massive grants to Bihar that would soon go for Assembly elections. On the other hand, it continued neglecting Karnataka that has been contributing significantly to the National exchequer. There was no mention about farmers’ loan waiver either, he regretted.
MLC and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Working president Manjunatha Bhandary said the Budget was hostile to Karnataka, and added the BJP MPs did little to get funds to the State. Despite getting elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not announced a single project to the State.
Poor and middle class-friendly
Former Karnataka BJP president and former MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said Ms. Sitharaman has presented a Budget that protects the interests of the poor and the middle class. Raising the income tax slab to ₹12 lakh was a major benefit to the salaried middle class, he said programmes for farmers were set to boost the agriculture sector. He welcomed reduction of duties on 36 drugs, proposals to open cancer day care centres in government hospitals etc.
Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath said Budget 2025 would not only infuse new energy to the economy, but also help India grow as a global power. Welcoming Budget proposals reducing duties on several essential items, Mr. Kamath said loans up to ₹20 lakh to MSMEs and up to ₹2 lakh to SC/ST women entrepreneurs and similar other proposals would help every citizen in the country.
Published – February 01, 2025 08:43 pm IST