Union Budget has not taken into account demands of Kalyana Karnataka, says KKCCI

KKCCI president Shashikanth Patil addressing a media conference.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Terming the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday as a mixed bag with a special focus on the middle class and the state of Bihar, Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCI), a body of traders and industrialists, expressed its displeasure by stating that the budget did not consider the major demands from Kalyana Karnataka region.

In a statement released on Saturday, Shashikanth Patil and Manjunath Jewargi, president and secretary of KKCCI, said that the Budget focused on Bihar and neglected Karnataka, especially the Kalyana Karnataka.

“We had expected Kalaburagi to be declared as an aspirational district. We thought that the places of historical and cultural importance in Kalyana Karnataka would be recognised for tourism development. Establishment of a new Railway Division with Kalaburagi as its headquarters is a four-decade-old demand. None of these demands have seen mention in the budget,” Mr. Patil said.

Mr. Patil, however, appreciated some of the measures announced such as raising the income tax relief to salaried and middle-class individuals, credit facilities to street vendors, enhancement of the limit for the interest subvention scheme for Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) from ₹3 lakhs to ₹5 lakhs, customised Credit Cards with ₹5 lakh limit for micro-enterprises, a fresh contribution of ₹10,000 crore for start-up funding and focus on regional connectivity.