Belagavi industries, organisations react to state budget

Belagavi: Leaders from industries, agriculture and various organisations reacted to the state budget presented by chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday.Prabhakar Nagarmanoli, ppresident of Belagavi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), said that they met the state chief minister with a delegation and demanded the release of Rs 130 crore as a subsidy for industrialists in Belagavi district, and requested the release of Rs 500 crore for the development of the industrial corridor, but no action was taken. He made no effort to prevent injustice being done to North Karnataka. The budget announcement is to facilitate the growth of tier 2 and 3 cities, but there is no proposal to implement the plans and allocate funds for that. It is still a dream for big industries to come to cities like Belagavi. They requested the govt to adjust the GST for the industrial sector with Hescom or corporation tax, but the govt did not consider that either, he saidRohan Juvali, industrialist and former president, BCCI, said that industries in Belagavi city have not received subsidies since 2020-21. "It is our long-standing dream to develop the industrial area. We met the chief minister many times. It is disappointing that the govt has taken no action in this regard," he said, hoping that the existing industries remain and grow in Belagavi.Sidagouda Modagi, the president, Bharatiya Krishik Samaj (BKS), said that it is unfortunate that most of the money was allocated to guarantee schemes and all other schemes were neglected. "The fact that Rs 8,000 crore is reserved for agricultural development is just a figure. Despite repeated calls to start cold storage units in areas where grapes, pomegranates, and mangoes are grown the most, the govt is not paying attention. Although farmer organisations keep saying that agriculture should be considered an industry and given benefits, the govt is unable to do so. The compensation for crop damage is also inadequate. The demand for a monthly allowance of Rs 6,000 to farmers above 60 years of age has not been fulfilled for a long time. There is no social security or financial security for farmers, and no efforts to prevent suicides. The budgets that truly care about farmers are yet to come," he remarked.Vijay More, the former mayor, Belagavi City Corporation, and founder of Shanthi Old Age Home, said chief minister's decision to banning social media for children up to the age of 16 was wise. Raju Ganagi, an advocate of the high court and the district president, AIDYO, said that the budget largely failed to address the real problems of students and unemployed youth. Instead of strengthening existing govt schools, the policy of merging the schools under the magnet model is unscientific. This will affect students from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.