Mangaluru(DHNS): Deputy Leader of Opposition in Assembly and Mangalore MLA U T Khader said that the state budget has not made any promises on tackling sea erosion on the coast. There is no mention of the development of fisheries roads, that provide connectivity to the fishermen community.

The promises made during the previous budget for the welfare of the fishermen have not been fulfilled so far, he said.

He said not even one house for the fishermen was constructed last year though the budget had promised 5,000 houses to fishermen. "Dakshina Kannada was allotted only 350 houses last year. However, the grant is yet to be released for the same. In spite of making tall promises after visits from BJP ministers including the CM to sea erosion-affected areas, the budget has not set aside any amount for solutions," he said.

Though the previous budget had promised to take up dredging in estuaries, no work has been done so far, he alleged. In spite of DK and Udupi having the senior-most BJP MLAs, no special grants were earmarked for the districts in the budget, Khader said. 

“It looks like Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had strictly followed BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel’s call for the party workers not to ask for development works and instead concentrate on 'love jihad' while preparing the budget,” he said sarcastically.

'Burden on people'

"Over the past few years, the BJP has burdened people with more loans. This has been their greatest achievement,’’ he said sarcastically. “The state’s total debt from independence till 2018-19 was Rs 2,42,000 crore. This has risen to Rs 5,64,000 crore in 2022-23. Interest on loans was Rs 34,000 crore. The BJP government has borrowed Rs 2,80,000 crore during the last four years,’’ he noted. 

'Tipu, Taliban provide oxygen'

To a query on BJP terming the assembly election to be fought between Tipu vs Savarkar, Khader said that topics like Tipu, Pakistan, Taliban, SDPI and terrorism are supplying oxygen to the BJP-led government in the state which is in its last stage. The BJP is living on the issues of Tipu and terrorism, he said.