Bengaluru, Mar 7 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday harped on social justice as he presented his sixteenth budget.

The chief minister said the schemes of his government are emphatic answers to many social and economic questions raised at various international fora.

Presenting the budget for 2025-26 in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah specifically underlined that the five guarantees, namely 'Gruha Jyoti', 'Gruha Lakshmi', 'Anna Bhagya', 'Yuva Nidhi' and 'Shakti' schemes, are not "mere freebies, but strategic investments made on economic and social principles." "The schemes of the Government of Karnataka are emphatic answers to many social and economic questions raised by various international forums. We have launched welfare programmes with the aim of increasing people’s purchasing power," the chief minister said.

Siddaramaiah said the state government has the responsibility to ensure that available resources are accessible to everyone.

"By balancing economic development with people’s welfare, we are shaping Karnataka’s development model through the concept of Universal Basic Income," he underlined.

The chief minister said his government is "firmly resolved to continue securing the foundation of social justice". PTI GMS GMS KH

Universal Basic Income framing: state schemes positioned as strategic investments to boost purchasing power and uphold social justice. The budget frames five flagship guarantees-Gruha Jyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, Anna Bhagya, Yuva Nidhi and Shakti-as strategic public investments to enhance purchasing power and ensure equitable access to resources, situating them within the concept of Universal Basic Income and the state's duty to secure social justice through balanced economic development and welfare provisioning.