Kerala Budget: focus on the electorate

Thiruvananthapuram: The Budget for 2016-17, presented to the Assembly by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday, proposes a slew of welfare and developmental programmes and tax concessions.

The pre-election Budget earmarks substantial sums for welfare of vulnerable sections and infrastructure development. The only tax proposal is that on plastic bottles and bags.

The Budget proposes tax concessions amounting to Rs. 331 crores while the additional resource mobilisation is confined to Rs. 112 crores. This leaves a revenue deficit of Rs. 9898 crores. The Plan allocation to local self-governments will be Rs. 5000 crores.

The Budget sets apart Rs. 500 crores for price stabilization scheme for rubber, Rs. 200 crores for interest subvention scheme for students of ITIs and polytechnics to repay educational loans and Rs. 2536 crores for 17 basic infrastructure projects such as light metro, Vizhinjam port, Kannur airport, Kochi metro, Petrochemical park and suburban railway.

Hike in pension
Rs. 100 crore is earmarked for ‘Kanivu’ programme for the care of people without anyone to care for them, bed-ridden patients and mentally challenged. Pension for older persons aged above 75 years will be increased to Rs. 1500 a month. Widow pension will be extended to women abandoned by husbands for more than five years.

The Government will pay the premium for insurance cover of 30 lakh welfare pensioners under the Pradhan Mantri Sureksha Bheema Yojana and Jeevan Jyothi scheme. Free rations will be given to all BPL and AAY families. (Currently, they get rice at Re. 1 a kg). The distress relief assistance to fishermen will be increased from Rs. 1800 to Rs. 2700.

A feasibility study will be conducted for developing an elevated expressway across Kerala from Kararagod to Kovalam along the western side of National Waterway III that can link major district capitals, airports, major ports and transshipment terminals.

New colleges:
The Budget proposes establishment of new agriculture colleges at Ambalavayal, Kumarakom and Chittoor besides an agri polyclinic at Chennithala. Rs. 130 crore is earmarked for hill area development agency and Rs. 40 crore for Sabarimala Master Plan. Rs. 25 crore is earmarked for 1000 start-up units.

Innovative international furniture hubs will be set up in Thrissur and Ernakulam.  Underpasses will be constructed at Peroorkada and Pattom junction in Thiruvananthapuram city to alleviate the traffic congestion.

Deemed University
K. R. Narayanan Institute of Visual Science and Arts will be upgraded as a deemed university. A new course each will be sanctioned to colleges which are more than 100 years old. Besides, Rs. 12 crore is earmarked for upgrading 10 colleges as centres of excellence. The Pariyaram Medical College will be taken over by the government.

The Budget sets apart nearly Rs. 35 crore for education of children with autism, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. A mobility mission will be implemented for them.

An ombudsman will be set up to redress complaints of customers of non-banking financial companies which do not come under the RBI.