TN Budget Key Highlights
The higher education department gets Rs 6,967 crore, the health department gets Rs 18,661 crore and the school education department gets Rs 40,299 crore.
Rs 500 crore for CM Breakfast Scheme
A total of Rs 500 crore has been allocated to expand the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme for students, under which 18 lakh students will be benefitted.
The government will expand the morning breakfast scheme to all 30,122 government primary schools from next academic year, under the scheme.
Honorarium to Women heads of family
A scheme to provide a Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium for women heads of families was announced. The finance minister said that a monthly honorarium of Rs 1,000 for women family heads would be provided from the next financial year for those meeting criteria.
The scheme was launched by Chief Minister MK Stalin on September 15 to fulfil one of DMK’s key poll promises. An allocation of Rs 7,000 crore has been made for the scheme and guidelines will be released soon.
Scheme for North Chennai
The ‘Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam’ scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore over the next three years. Under this, steps will be taken to identify and address the gaps in development and infrastructure deficit of North Chennai.
‘Naan Mudhalvan’ scheme
A total of Rs 50 crore was allocated for the Naan Mudhalvan scheme. Currently, under the scheme, about 12.7 lakh students from engineering, arts and science colleges are receiving training.
So far, about 12,582 engineering faculty and 7,797 arts and science faculty have also been trained, The Hindu reported.
‘Annal Ambedkar Business Champions’ Scheme for SC and ST entrepreneurs
The ‘Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme’ will be launched in the upcoming fiscal year which will provide a 35 percent capital subsidy and offer a 6 percent interest subsidy for loans to procure machinery and equipment to SC/ST entrepreneurs. A total of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for this scheme.
1,000 new buses and subsidies for free travel for women
In the budget, it was announced that the state government will procure 1,000 new buses and renovate 500 old buses at a cost of Rs 500 crore.
Additionally, an allocation of Rs 2,800 crore was made as subsidies towards free bus travel for women in state-run buses.
Also, a total of Rs 1,500 crore as subsidy has been allocated for student concession in bus fare and another Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated as diesel subsidy.
Power subsidy
A total of Rs 14,000 crore was allocated towards subsidy for Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO).
For students’ education
Rs 1,500 crore will be allotted for improving infrastructure in government schools, by constructing new buildings. The school education department allocated Rs 40,229 crore in the budget. Rs 500 crore was allotted for the breakfast scheme for school children. All the schools under the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare departments will be brought under the school education department. Modern hostels for SC/ST students will be built at a cost of Rs 100 crore in Madurai, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, and Trichy. Tamil Nadu will set up upskilling centres that provide training in advanced technology, including mechatronics, the Internet of Things, advanced automotive technology, precision engineering, and advanced welding.
To protect people’s health Rs 18,661 crore is allotted for the health and family welfare department. The state government’s ‘Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam’ scheme will be extended to workers in industries and the unorganised sector, benefiting 8.3 lakh workers in 711 industries in its first phase. Kalaignar Memorial Multi-Specialty Hospital, which is under construction in Guindy, will be inaugurated this financial year.
To support women, transgender people, and people with disabilities
Rs 2500 crore is earmarked for a free bus ride scheme for women, trans persons, persons with disabilities (PWD), and their attendants in ordinary government buses. Rs 30,000 crore was allocated for loans to women’s self-help groups. The state announced the much-expected Rs 1000 honorarium for ‘eligible’ women heading families. This was a key poll promise of the DMK government which was also reiterated by Chief Minister MK Stalin in the run-up to the Erode by-poll last month.
To uplift the oppressed communities
A new scheme named ‘Annal Ambedkar’ would be launched, for which Rs 100 crore has been allocated. The scheme aims to promote economic development by creating entrepreneurship opportunities for people belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities. The “Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation Development Scheme,” is to be launched at Rs 1000 crore for five years and will ensure basic amenities in Adi Dravidar habitations in both urban and rural areas and bring about comprehensive socio-economic development.
To enable sports, tourism, and infrastructure in the state
A world-class global sports centre will be set up in Chennai by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will be renovated with modern sports facilities at a cost of Rs 25 crore. A total of 10,000 kilometres of rural roads are set to be improved. Bus roads and link roads for a length of 5,145 km will be taken up for upgrade at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore in 2023–24.
Initiatives with an eye for the environment
Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary will be created in Erode district of Tamil Nadu. Rs 320 crores will be allocated for flood mitigation and clearing water channels. Water bodies in rural areas will be renovated in the next two years at a cost of Rs. 800 crores.”Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration Mission” in collaboration with the World Bank was announced which will mitigate climate change in coastal regions and protect livelihoods. The estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore will be allocated in the next five years.
