Udupi, Jan 20: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa hinted that the coming state budget would focus on allocation of more funds to key areas like rural development and tourism.
On the controversy over distribution of eggs to the school children under mid-day meal programme, the Deputy Chief Minister said a final decision on the issue would be taken in today’s cabinet meeting.
Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a new building of government girl's p u college here, Yediyurappa, also holding finance portfolio, said the process for preparing the budget had already begun and already three rounds of discussions had been completed with the economic experts. Talks with various departments would be completed by this month end.
The joint legislature session would start from January 25 with an address by the governor. "On the same day the expansion of the cabinet would also be completed", he said, adding appointments to chairmen to various boards and corporations would also be completed soon.
On opposition Congress leaders' demanding a white paper on the financial condition of the state, Yediyurappa shot back "let them introspect about their performance comparing with the performance of 11-month-old BJP-JDS rule."
On the much opposed Nagarjuna Coal-Based Thermal Power Project, he said the JDS-BJP coalition government was not in a position to stop the project which was cleared by the previous Central and the state governments.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, January 20, 2007, 00:00