Finance minister Palanivel Thiagarajan tables budget

Chennai: Finance minister Palanivel Thiagaraj on Monday tabled the budget for the financial year 2023-24. This is the second full budget of the DMK regime. Much expected schemes like financial assistance to women family heads and nutritious breakfast schemes were announced in the budget.

Important features of the budget

1.      The state government has allocated Rs 7,000 crore to launch monthly assistance worth Rs 1,000 to women family heads in the state and the scheme will be launched on September 15. The scheme was announced by the Chief Minister as a part of the election memorandum and the CM had already said that the scheme would be announced in the upcoming budget.

2.      SIPCOT would be set up at the cost Rs 410 crore in Coimbatore, Virudhunagar, Vellore and Kallakurichi districts.

3.      Textile park would be set up in Salem at the cost of Rs 800 crore.

4.      Tamil Nadu Neithal restoration project would be implemented at the cost of Rs 2,000 crore to control sea erosion in coastal areas.

5.      Thanthai Periyar wildlife sanctuary would be set up in Erode.

6.      Rs 30,000 crore would be distributed as loans to women self-help groups.

7.      Flood prevention activities would be carried out at the cost of Rs 434 crore in Chennai, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts.

8.      54 government polytechnic colleges would be converted into skill development centres at the cost of Rs 2,783 crore.

9.      25 part-time folk arts training centre would be started.

10.   10,000 water bodies in rural areas would be rejuvenated at the cost of Rs 800 crore.

11.    10 handloom parks would be set up at the cost of Rs 20 crore.

12.   CCTV cameras would be installed at all the police stations at the cost of Rs 38.25 crore.

13.   Rs 10 crore allocated to renovate churches and mosques.

14.   Rs 485 crore allocated to carry out works at temples in Palani, Thirutani and Samayapuram.

15.   Land registration fee reduced from 4% to 2%.

16.   Metro rail scheme would be implemented in Madurai at the cost of Rs 8,500 crore.

17.   Metro rail scheme would be implemented from Avinashi road in Coimbatore to Sathyamangalam at the cost of Rs 9,000 crore.

18.   Chennai Poonamallee metro rail service would be opened to the public in 2025.

19.   500 buses would be renovated and 1000 buses would be procured.

20.   Four-lane bridge would be constructed from Teynampet to Saidapet on Anna Salai in Chennai.

21.   Advances given to government employees to construct houses would be increased to Rs 50 lakh.

22.   Elderly pension scheme would be given to 1 lakh more people.

23.   Rs 22,562 crore allocated to rural development and panchayat department.

24.   Rs 1,509 crore allocated to MSME department.

25.   Rs 1248 crore allocated to the forest department.

26.   Rs 24,476 crore allocated to the municipal administration department.

27.   Rs 19,465 crore allocated to the national highways department.

28.   Under the names Ezhilmigu Coimbatore and Mamadurai, the districts would be upgraded.

29.    Nutritious breakfast scheme would be implemented in all the government schools. Fund worth Rs 500 crore allocated to the scheme benefitting 18 lakh students.

30.   Adi Dravidar students’ hostels would be set up in Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Nilgiris.

31.   Loans worth Rs 600 crore would be waived for women self help groups.

32.    Rs 1,580 crore allocated to backward welfare department.

33.   Rs 389 crore allocated to the fisheries department.

34.   Rs 10 crore allocated to Vannargal welfare board.

35.   Rs 3,513 crore allocated to Adi Dravidar welfare department.

36.   Financial assistance would be extended to those preparing for competitive exams from government institutions.

37.   Rs 6,967 crore allocated to higher education department.

38.   Kalaignar library in Madurai would be inaugurated in June.

39.    Rs 1,500 crore allocated to construct new classrooms in government schools.

40.   Rs 305 crore allocated to provide bicycles to students.

41.    Rs 40,299 crore allocated to the school education department.

42.   10 lakh youths would be given vocational training and a vocational training centre would be set up at the cost of Rs 120 crore in Ambattur.

43.   Nursing school would be set up at Stanley medical college in Chennai.

44.   Rs 18,661 allocated to the health department.

45.   A specialty hospital will be named after former chief minister Karunanidhi.

46.   Chola’s museum would be set up in Thanjavur.

47.   Rs 223 crore allocated to construct houses for Sri Lankan Tamils.

48.   Memorials would be set up for Language war martyrs.

49.   Ambedkar’s works would be translated into Tamil.

50.   Chennai sangamam festival would be conducted in eight more districts.

51.   Financial deficit of the state has been reduced to Rs 30,000 crore and it would be reduced further in the upcoming years.

52.   AIADMK members staged a walkout after assembly speaker Appavu refused to grant permission to interrupt and raise opinion while the finance minister was tabling the budget.