BJP Rajya Sabha Member Lahar Singh Siroya expressed concerns about the Karnataka government’s performance, stating that it is failing to meet revenue targets. The government is projected to fall short of its financial year 2025-26 revenue goals by a significant margin, according to Siroya. The state’s own estimates suggest that it may only be able to raise a fraction of the remaining Rs 65,000 crore by March 2026.
Siroya highlighted specific departmental issues, indicating a potential Rs 9,000 crore loss in commercial tax collection alone. He also pointed out that the government, under former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had set a revenue target of Rs 2.03 lakh crore but has only managed to raise Rs 1.38 lakh crore between March and December 2025. Various departments, such as transport and stamps and registration, are facing challenges in meeting their revenue targets.
Despite these concerns, the excise department remains optimistic about achieving its goals, with an increase in hard liquor sales offsetting a decrease in beer consumption. Siroya criticized the impact of the state’s five guarantees on the government’s finances, noting inconsistencies in their implementation. Reports indicate that the government’s overall governance performance, including fund utilization and grants across departments, stands at 51.6%, a 6% decline from the previous year’s performance at the same time.
Siroya emphasized that recent comparisons by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to former CM Devaraj Urs and praises for his record as finance minister do not reflect positively on the government’s actual performance. The assessment of the government’s progress was conducted in a meeting led by the state’s chief secretary in December 2025.
