Karnataka Budget 2023: Congress cracks down on moral policing, fake news peddlers

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that stringent action would be taken against those involved in moral policing. He made the statement while unveiling the Congress-led government's budget for 2023-24.

“Our government will give utmost importance to maintain law and order. Stringent action will be taken against those who harass people in the name of moral policing, spread fake news through social media and disturb harmony ,” Siddaramaiah said, as per an India Today report.

On Friday, CM Siddaramaiah presented the first state budget after Congress assumed power following its sweeping victory in the May 10 assembly elections. Siddaramaiah, while presenting the budget, announced a 20 per cent hike in existing rates of additional excise duty (AED) on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) on all 18 slabs. For beer, the AED has been hiked by 10 per cent taking it 185 per cent from 175 per cent.

Presenting the 2023-2024 budget, with an outlay of over Rs 3.27 lakh crore, in the Legislative Assembly, he said through the five 'guarantees' (poll promises), the government will be providing an average additional financial assistance of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 a month to each household.

He said approximately Rs 52,000 crore would be spent annually for the five key poll 'guarantees' and it is expected to benefit 1.3 crore families.

The five guarantees related to free bus travel for women, 200 units of free electricity, 10 kilograms of free foodgrains to the poor, Rs 2,000 for the woman head of the house and unemployment benefit of up to Rs 3,000.

In the polls to the 224-member Assembly, the Congress bagged 135 seats, while the BJP secured 66 and the JD(S) 19.

Siddaramaiah created a record of sorts by presenting his 14th budget in the Assembly as Finance Minister, surpassing the mark of late Ramakrishna Hegde, a former CM, who had presented 13 budgets.

(With PTI inputs)

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