Udupi, February 1, 2026: Udupi Block Congress Committee President Ramesh Kanchan has strongly criticised the Union Budget 2026 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accusing the BJP-led central government of once again neglecting coastal Karnataka districts by failing to announce any new schemes or allocations.

In a statement, Kanchan said: “The coastal districts had high expectations from this budget, particularly in fisheries, tourism development, and port infrastructure. But the Finance Minister has again given us a ‘chombu’ (empty promise) by not announcing any specific projects for the region.”

He further alleged that the budget is beneficial only to big industrialists and corporate houses, with no meaningful announcements to improve the lives of the middle class or common people. “While states like West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala — where assembly elections are due this year — have received massive announcements and packages, Karnataka has been completely ignored. Even in railway projects, opportunities have been given to other states while coastal Karnataka’s rail line development continues to be sidelined. This is a disappointing budget that has fully neglected the state government and the people of Karnataka,” Kanchan added.