The Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Trivandrum, has hailed the revised Budget presented by Finance Minister K.M. Mani in the Assembly on Friday.
A press note issued by president E.M. Najeeb and secretary S.N. Reghuchandran Nair said though the Rs.150-crore outlay for the Vizhinjam project and the Rs.30 crore earmarked for city development were welcome, the absence of budgetary allocation for the construction sector and tourism development was disappointing.
The Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) alleged that the revised Budget had totally ignored the fisheries sector. A release quoting KSMTF State president T.Peter and secretary Anto Elias said 18 of the 21 welfare schemes targeting fishworkers were languishing. The government had failed to disburse the relief announced for fishworkers to help them tide over the lean months.
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The Trivandrum Residents Apex Council (TRAC) said the Budget was a major setback for the development of the city and welfare of the people.
TRAC president Amaravila Ramakrishnan Nair and general secretary K.T. Roy said the Budget had earmarked only Rs.30 crore for the development of the capital city while the outlay for traffic management alone in Kochi was Rs.25 crore.