Bengaluru, Aug. 21 -- The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has raised concerns over Karnataka's financial health, pointing to the burden created by the state government's five guarantee schemes. The audit, tabled in the Legislative Assembly this week, shows that these programmes accounted for 15 % of the state's revenue expenditure in 2023-24, forcing an increase in borrowings and reducing investments in long-term infrastructure projects. The schemes were allocated Rs.36,537.96 crore for the financial year, with almost the entire amount utilised. The report linked the implementation of these guarantees to a sharp increase in expenditure. The state's overall spending grew by 12.54 % compared to the previous year, while revenue growth stood at just 1.86%. This mismatch pushed the state back into a revenue deficit of Rs.9,271 crore. HTC...