Bengaluru, March 7 -- Chief minister Siddaramaiah will on Friday present his 16th Karnataka Budget - the most by any leader in the state's history.

With the outlay expected to exceed Rs.4 lakh crore, the budget will likely to focus on infrastructure development while ensuring continued funding for its welfare schemes.

The state government, which allocated Rs.52,000 crore to its five guarantee schemes last year, will unlikely scale down social spending despite financial constraints.

The budget will also likely address the challenge of balancing developmental projects with rising borrowings, which are expected to surpass Rs.1.25 lakh crore.

To finance infrastructure improvements, the government will likely borrow Rs.3,500 crore from the...