Kerala Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal presented his maiden budget at the Legislative Assembly on Friday. The "revised budget" is for the 2021-22 financial year.
Here are the key higlights:
* ₹20,000 crore COVID-19 revival package
*Steps to expedite coastal highway project
*No coercive steps to ensure tax remittance.
*The Finance Minister reported a revenue inflow of ₹1,30,981.06 crore. While the revenue expenditure is pegged at ₹,147,891.18 crore, the revenue deficit is figured at v16,910.12 crore.
*Monthly stipend of ₹2,000 to orphaned children till they attain the age of 18 in addition to the one time payment of ₹. 3 lakhs.
*Government Medical College Hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode to have state of the art isolation facilities to treat transmissible diseases like COVID-19, ebola.
*The Institute of Advanced Virology to spearhead the State's efforts to boost on vaccine research and production.
*Allocation of ₹50 lakh as seed money for the proposed Centre for Disease Control
*Comprehensive package to prevent coastal erosion and mitigate the damage caused due to sea surge
*Expansive isolation wards to treat patients with transmissible diseases in all public hospitals.
* WIth emphasis on paediatric care, more intensive care units to be opened in hospitals.
*Settlement of outstanding rubber subsidy dues
*₹10 crore allocation for eradication of extreme poverty
*Proposal for five agriculture processing parks in Kerala.
* In a move to revive the tourism sector, the Kerala State Financial Corporation would extend ₹400 crore as low-interest loans to help revive the industry and restore lost jobs.
*₹4 crore to set up monuments for veteran politicians and former Ministers K. R. Gowri Amma and R. Balakrishna Pillai.
*₹5 crore allocated for setting up smart kitchens for the benefit of home makers.
*Government proposes to convert the KSRTC buses to CNG model. ₹100 crore allocated for the purpose.
*Special scheme to bolster dairy sector.
*To revive the moribund sector, Mr. Balagopal announces tourism circuits in Malabar Literary Circuit and Biodiversity Circuit.
*₹100 crore venture capital fund to help start-ups and small and medium scale investors.
*Government services to become fully online from October 2, Gandhi Jayanthi.
*₹5 crores to conduct a detailed study to improve moffusil roads, reduce accidents and ease traffic congestion.
*With assistance from the Indian Oil Corporation, proposal to acquire ten hydrogen powered public transport buses at a cost of ₹10 crore.
*Kollam bus stand to be modernised.
*Proposal to set up Centre of Renewable Energy at University of Kerala to conduct research in the field of green energy.
*₹15 crore set aside to underwrite the bank loans availed by electric two wheelers for newspaper distributors, fish vendors and couriers working in the gig economy.
*The budget allocation towards various welfare schemes for expatriate Keralites is enhanced to ₹170 crore.
*With emphasis on knowledge-based economy, ₹300 crore has been set earmarked for the purpose in the budget.
(With inputs from our Correspondent G. Anand )
