Budget session of Karnataka Assembly gets underway

Bengaluru, July 3 (IANS) The budget session of Karnataka Legislative Assembly commenced on Monday with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot addressing joint session of both the houses.

The session is likely to be chaotic as the ruling Congress government and opposition BJP are already at the loggerheads over various issues.

After a humiliating defeat, the BJP wants to get momentum against Congress. On the other hand, Congress is launching attacks on the central government over denial of sale of rice to the state through the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will stage a protest against Congress on the premises of Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday over failure to implement five guarantee schemes promised by the Congress during election.

The Congress government has announced that it would scrap the anti-conversion law, the National Education Policy (NEP).

It has also given a green signal to the revision of the syllabus of textbooks. The announcement regarding dropping of texts related to BJP's iconic freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar have already sparked war of words between the leaders of two parties.

In his address, the Governor stated that the government is going to stand with the poor and economically backward people.

The government aims to create new Karnataka and it is committed to protecting fundamental rights of every child. The government is working as per the principles of Basavanna.

The philosophy of Karnataka being a paradise of peace for all people is adopted, the Governor stated. This is the first session of the 16th state legislature. The session will be held for 10 days.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is presenting maiden budget of Congress government on July 7.

He has stated that the implementation of guarantee schemes would need Rs 55,000 crore this year.

The opposition parties are keenly watching how CM Siddaramaiah is going to mobilize resources.