Bengaluru, Mar 7 (PTI) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced various welfare schemes for minorities in his budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, including Rs 50,000 to support simple marriages and Rs 1,000 crore under the Chief Minister’s Minority Colony Development Programme.

The BJP criticised these measures calling them appeasement.

While presenting the budget, the Chief Minister said, "To promote simple marriages among economically backward minority communities, an amount of Rs 50,000 will be provided per couple to NGOs that organise such mass marriages." He stated that classes from pre-primary to PU will be introduced in 250 Moulana Azad Model English Medium Schools in a phased manner, with a total cost of Rs 500 crore.

An allocation of Rs 100 crore has been made for this purpose in the current year, and the programme will be implemented in collaboration with the School Education Department.

Additionally, 100 Urdu medium schools with the highest enrolment, managed by the Education Department, will be strengthened. Rs 100 crore has been allocated this year as part of a total Rs 400 crore upgrade plan to provide essential facilities.

"An action plan of Rs 1,000 crore has been prepared under the Chief Minister’s Minority Colony Development Programme. The works will be implemented in FY 2025-26," Siddaramaiah said.

Furthermore, he announced that minority youth will be encouraged to launch start-ups through the Karnataka Minority Development Corporation.

For the repair and renovation of Waqf properties and the development and protection of Muslim burial grounds, Rs 150 crore has been allocated.

Career guidance and training for competitive exams will be provided in minority post-matric hostels. To support minority students who lack access to degree education, a regional centre of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) will be established at Haj Bhavan, offering various undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses.

"Self-defence training will be provided to 25,000 girl students studying in 169 residential schools and colleges run by the Directorate of Minorities," Siddaramaiah added.

He further announced that the honorarium for Jain priests, Chief Granthis of Sikhs, and Pesh Imams of mosques will be increased to Rs 6,000 per month, while the honorarium for Assistant Granthis and Muezzins will be raised to Rs 5,000 per month.

Siddaramaiah also declared that a novel by Kendra Sahitya Academy awardee Boluvaru Mohammad Kunhi will be adapted into a drama and performed across the state, with Rs 1 crore allocated for the initiative.

The BJP criticised the budget in a post on 'X', stating, "Scam CM @siddaramaiah in Karnataka presents a halal budget—appeasement at its peak!" PTI GMS SSK GMS SSK ADB

Minority welfare schemes expand targeted benefits and infrastructure, including marriage support, education upgrades and colony development. Budgetary measures expand minority-targeted welfare across social, educational and infrastructure domains, establishing a Chief Minister's Minority Colony Development Programme, funding mass marriages organised by NGOs, upgrading English- and Urdu-medium minority schools, supporting start-ups via the state minority development corporation, renovating Waqf properties and burial grounds, increasing honoraria for religious functionaries, and providing career guidance, exam training, self-defence for girl students and a regional open-university centre to broaden degree access.