For the fourth time in a row, the School Education Department has received a record allocation of Rs. 20,936.50 crore. This is Rs. 3,204.79 crore more than last year’s allocation.
In his budget speech, Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam said 46,737 out-of-school children were brought into the regular stream of education, and under the Right to Education a total of 1,36,593 children had been admitted.
The special cash incentive scheme for students in classes X to XII, launched in 2011-12 to reduce dropout rates, had benefited 88.59 lakh students. An estimated Rs. 381 crore was allocated for the scheme in 2015-16. The government had ensured 100 per cent coverage of toilets facilities for girls and boys, with the government allocating Rs. 2688.97 crore in the last four years, he said. Bicycles would be provided to 6.62 lakh schoolchildren.
Health
Funding for public health has been increased to Rs. 8,245.41 crore, constituting 4.52 per cent of the overall budget allocation this year. The allocation was Rs. 7005.02 crore last year. Under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, 10.05 lakh patients had received treatment so far and government hospitals earned Rs. 764.20 crore. For the next fiscal, Rs. 781 crore had been provided as premium, he said.
The National Health Mission would be continued with an outlay of Rs. 1,342.67 crore. The State government plans to improve health coverage in urban areas. Twenty new urban health centres have been proposed, 100 existing facilities would be upgraded in Chennai. In other Corporations and municipalities, 37 new centres would be developed and 243 existing ones would be strengthened.
The non-communicable diseases project through which 36.75 lakh people had been treated, has been extended till September with an allocation fo Rs. 23.52 crore, Mr. Paneerselvam said.
School Education Department has got Rs. 3,204.79 crore more than last year
