Union Budget 2025: On Karnataka’s wish list, special grants for Bengaluru, routing of central scheme funds through state

With Bengaluru being the maturation motor of the authorities and besides an IT and start-up hub of the country, the peculiar funds are needed to unlock the city’s imaginable and pull investments, Siddaramaiah said successful a caller pre-budget presumption to the concern ministry. “Bengaluru requires important improvements to its captious infrastructure. In airy of this, I impulse the Government of India to see the Finance Commission’s proposal for state-specific grants to heighten the city’s infrastructure facilities,” Siddaramaiah said.

Another cardinal point connected the database is the routing of funds for cardinal schemes done the state’s consolidated money alternatively of nonstop transportation to administrative units for schemes and besides outlining successful fund volumes of the state-specific allocations for cardinal schemes.

The Karnataka authorities has said that “any money merchandise to CSS schemes should beryllium routed done the authorities consolidated money to guarantee accountability to the legislature and effectual monitoring”.

At present, the cardinal authorities has introduced the ‘SNA SPARSH model’ for centrally sponsored schemes wherever funds released by the Centre are “directly transferred to SNA relationship of the implementing bureau oregon administrative department, bypassing the Consolidated Fund of the State (CFS)”, the Karnataka authorities has stated.

While this mechanics is intended to streamline the money transportation process for CSS schemes, it besides results successful bypassing legislative approval, Siddaramaiah has stated.

“The Union Budget Volumes should intelligibly specify the allocation for each authorities nether assorted Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), enabling states to program their matching authorities stock realistically. Additionally, states should beryllium fixed a much salient relation successful the formulation of CSS schemes, with the flexibility to enactment successful them and modify them arsenic needed to code section requirements,” Siddaramaiah’s presumption to Sitharaman says.

Gaps successful the merchandise of funds besides effect successful the authorities authorities needing to “bear the unreleased information of the Government of India’s share”, the authorities has said portion requesting merchandise of funds arsenic per the approved yearly enactment plan.

“Certain schemes, specified arsenic the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (Mission Vaatsalya), Samagra Shiksha, Fast Track Special Courts for handling cases nether the Rape and POCSO Act, and the Integrated Sample Survey for Estimation of Milk, Meat, Egg, and Wool Products, mandate the merchandise of funds connected a reimbursement basis. This request is placing an undue load connected authorities finances. Therefore, I petition that the mode of money merchandise beryllium changed from reimbursement to beforehand release,” Siddaramaiah has stated.

The Karnataka authorities has besides sought a hike successful the Centre’s stock of enactment for ASHA and Anganwadi workers by Rs 5,000 a period and by Rs 2,000 per period for cooks and helpers astatine payment centres. Currently, portion anganwadi workers get Rs 10,000 per period (Rs 7,300 from the authorities and Rs 2,700 from the Centre), Asha workers get Rs 7,000 monthly (Rs 5,000 from the authorities and Rs 2,000 from the Centre). Anganwadi cooks and workers get Rs 3,700 a period (Rs 3,100 from the authorities and Rs 600 from the Centre).

The authorities authorities has besides requested an hold of cardinal assistance to astatine slightest 50 per cent of the beneficiaries nether the National Social Assistance Programme.

“Limiting fiscal assistance to lone a information of the families, without addressing the existent fig of radical successful need, undermines the extremity of cosmopolitan wellness coverage. States would beryllium amended equipped to conscionable their healthcare needs if fiscal assistance were aligned with 1.14 crore families nether NFSA,” Siddaramaiah has said.

An further magnitude of Rs 5 lakh each for beneficiaries of lodging schemes has been sought since astatine slightest Rs 10 lakh is required to physique a one-bedroom location and the existent assistance by the authorities and Centre unneurotic amounts to little than Rs 4 lakh.

Sitharaman is scheduled to contiguous the Union Budget 2025 connected Saturday, February 1.