MANGALORE: Deputy Chief Minister and State Finance Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said here on Thursday that even as he was working on the budget for next year, he wondered if it would be a repeat of the case of this year's budget, in which he had provided for many benefits for the people but the bureaucracy had delayed their realisation.

Mr. Yediyurappa told presspersons here on Thursday that his budget for 2006 had provided for many benefits for almost all classes but the bureaucracy had been sluggish in allowing them to get across to the people. He said the budget had particularly focused on benefits for farmers, fishermen, weavers and below-poverty-line (BPL) families. A meeting of farmers, weavers and fishermen leaders would soon be called to try to evolve a plan to empower them economically and socially, he said.

Cycles for boys

Mr. Yediyurappa said the Government planned to give cycles to boy students belonging to BPL families and hoped to complete the distribution of over 2.5 lakh cycles by January. The districts have been asked to speed up the process of identifying BPL families, he said. The scheme would cost Rs. 45 crore, he added.

Financial condition

He said the people should have no reason for apprehension over the State's financial condition as the collection in excise, motor vehicles, stamps and registration, and land revenue had crossed Rs. Rs. 14,883.43 crore between March and November 30 this year as against Rs. 11,427.46 crore last year. The jump in revenue collection was 30.24 per cent, which was the highest among the States. He said it was also the first time that 80 per cent of Government Orders (GOs) had been issued for the commencement of development works especially for the marginalised sections.

It was the first time too, he said, that the State Government had spent an additional sum of Rs. 2,000 crore on development works, including Rs. 500 crore for minor irrigation schemes, in the State, he said. This was apart from the budgetary provisions, he added.

Mr. Yediyurappa refused to comment on the cut in sales tax for petroleum products, and added that his Government had not raised the sales tax on petroleum products, nor was there any provision to cut the sales tax. He also did not wish to comment on the suggestions made by Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora on the issue.

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