Finance Minister K. M. Mani announced fresh Budget allocations for a number of schemes and institutions totalling Rs. 298.77 crore while replying to the general debate on the Budget in the Assembly on Wednesday.
With this, the cumulative deficit of the Budget for 2013-14 rose to Rs. 825.34 crore.
The allocations include Rs. 50 crore for the debt relief to fishermen, Rs. 25 crore for free supply of medicines, Rs. 10 crore for Attukal township, Rs. 5 crore each for the Zero Landless Project and Cosnumerfed, Rs. 4.5 crore marine safety project, Rs. 25 lakh for Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy building and Rs. 25 lakh for treatment centre for elephants at Paravoor.
The Finance Minister said that an allocation of Rs. 15 crore would be made for development of the backward district of Kasaragod district and social welfare measures as recommended by Prakakaran Committee in addition to Rs. 15 crore already provided in the Budget. Besides, an additional allocation of Rs. 5 crore would be made for the Western Ghats Climate Change Research Institute at Kottayam, announced in last year’s Budget. Additional allocations would also be made for Health Insurance Scheme for journalists (Rs. 60 lakh), anti-liquor campaign (Rs. 75 lakh) and memorial for Sukumar Azhikode (Rs. 10 lakh).
Mr. Mani also announced allocations for Unnayi Warriar Memorial (Rs. 50 lakh), G. Sankara Kurup Memorial and Changanpuzha Memorial (Rs. 30 lakh each), Palakkad Mani Iyer Temple Arts Museum (Rs. 5 lakh) and Muloor Cultural Committee (Rs. 2 lakh).
Rs. 3 crore would be provided for national museum of dance at Guru Gopinath Dance Village as contribution of State government. An assistance of Rs. 15 lakh would be provided for conducting international folk arts festival in Kerala. The grant of Moinkutty Vydiar Mappila Kala Academy would be raised to Rs. 50 lakh. Rs. 20 lakh would be granted for setting up a statue of Kunhikuttan Thampuran at Kodungallur.
