Tamil Nadu Budget highlights | Hut-free T.N., ₹1000 dole for college-going boys, AI mission: Key takeaways

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami dismissed the Tamil Nadu State Budget 2024 as a “mirage”, and said it would not benefit anyone. 

The Tamil Nadu government, unveiled TN-SHORE (Neithal Meetchi Iyakkam), a scheme to restore coastal resources across 14 districts of the State, spanning 1,076 km, to be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹1,675 crore.

The Tamil Nadu government has announced that the property tax reimbursement scheme would be expanded to all ex-servicemen.

The Tamil Nadu government will establish four Olympic Academies in Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchi and the Nilgiris to provide world-class training in various sports, said Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu.

T.N. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu announced a sum of ₹300 crore for the upgradation of roads “in the rapidly-growing extended areas adjacent to municipal corporations such as the Greater Chennai Corporation.”

Following the success of the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Pudhumai Penn Scheme, the Tamil Nadu government announced the ‘Tamizh Pudhalvan’ scheme to benefit boys, who have studied in government schools from classes 6 to 12, by providing them with financial assistance of ₹1,000 a month in their bank accounts for their higher education.

The flagship Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme will be extended to government-aided schools in rural areas from the upcoming academic year. 

Another significant announcement is the government’s decision to cover all educational expenses, including tuition and hostel fees, for transpersons who want to pursue higher education. 

The state BJP president K. Annamalai said the Tamil Nadu government has made the same empty announcements, which it has been making for the last three years, in this year’s Budget as well.

A scheme to provide ₹1,000 a month to boys who have studied in government schools from classes 6 to 12 and are pursuing higher education, the Chief Minister’s Thayumanavar scheme for poverty alleviation are among the major announcements made by the Tamil Nadu government in its Budget for 2024-25.

Tamil Nadu government announces ‘Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam’, to be implemented at ₹3,500 crore to provide housing facilities to the poor; eight lakh concrete houses to be constructed in rural areas. - Dennis Jesudasan

The Tamil Nadu government announces ‘Tamizh Pudhalvan’ scheme through which boys, who have studied in government schools from Class VI to XII will be provided financial assistance of ₹1,000 a month in their bank accounts for their higher education. About 3 lakh students to benefit from the coming year. - Dennis Jesudasan

The Tamil Nadu government, on February 19, announced the setting up of a scheme “to launch a final assault on poverty over the next two years.” Called the Chief Minister’s Thayumanavar Scheme, it has been allocated ₹27,922 crore under the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, who presented the State Budget 2024-25 on Monday, announced a mission for a ‘Hut-free Tamil Nadu’ by 2030.

Tamil Nadu government announces setting up of the ‘Tamil Nadu State Highways Authority’; a Bill in this regard to be tabled this Assembly session. aims to facilitate significant investments in road infrastructure development through public-private partnership. - Dennis Jesudasan

T.N. Finance Minister .Thangam Thennerasu said an open-air museum would be constructed at the Keeladi excavation site, at a cost of ₹17 crore, to showcase the brick structures, ring wells, and factory zones that have been found during the Keeladi excavations. The site already houses a museum, where hundreds of artefacts unearthed since the excavations began in 2014-15, are housed.

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu says for 2023-24 State’s Own Tax Revenue (SOTR) estimates is revised to ₹1,70,147 crore from the initial estimates of ₹1,81,182 crore, due to the impact from floods. Now, the SOTR growth is expected to be 13.26% for 2023-24, when compared to initial estimates of 20.61%. - Sanjay Vijayakumar

Tamil Nadu Artificial Intelligence Mission will be established to develop guidelines for constructively leveraging AI in education, employment, industry, research and medicine, and to establish clear protocols for its utilization. This mission will involve professors from leading educational institutions in Tamil Nadu, executives from the electronics industry, and experts in the field. - Sanjay Vijayakumar

500 new electric buses are to be procured for a sustainable future.- Tamil Nadu DIPR

SIPCOT park is to come up at Sengipatti in Thanjavur at a cost of ₹120 crore. - B. Kolappan

Tamil Nadu government will introduce a special scheme to incentivise additional women employment in the State. This scheme will offer a payroll subsidy of 10 percent of the salary of women, differently abled and transgender employees for two years to all new industrial units providing direct employment to over 500 such individuals from Tamil Nadu. - Sanjay Vijayakumar

The State will incentivise the creation of high paying jobs in new Global Capability Centres (GCCs) by providing a payroll subsidy of 30 per cent in the first year, 20 per cent in the second year and 10 per cent in the third year for jobs with pay above ₹1,00,000 per month. - Sanjay Vijayakumar

Budget of ₹2 crore has been allocated for ethnographic documentation of Sourashtra and Paduga languages and languages of tribals including Thodas, Kothar, Cholakar, Kaani and Narikuravar. - B. Kolappan

Rope car facility is to come up at Tiruparankundram and Thiruneermalai.

Tamil Nadu government is to create four Olympic academies.

₹440 crore has been allocated for youth welfare and sports development. - B. Kolappan

As much as ₹500 crore has been set aside for ‘Singara Chennai 2.0’ scheme. A new scheme is to be implemented for improving drinking water and sewage disposal at North Chennai at a cost of ₹946 crore. 

Adyar canal would be renovated at a cost of ₹1,500 crore. Parks will be created on the banks of Adyar river. - B. Kolappan

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu says ₹243 crore has been allocated for Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme and a sum of ₹20,198 crore for health and family welfare. - Sanjay Vijayakumar, B. Kolappan

The State has allotted ₹2 crore to translate the twin-epics of Tamil – Silapathikaram and Manimekalai in 25 Indian languages to convey the ideas of Tamils that include unity, integrity in politics, rights of citizens, competence un commerce and trade, religious harmony, eradication of poverty and hunger and feminism. - B. Kolappan

A sum of ₹1,000 crore has been allocated for developing infrastructure of schools.

Tamil Nadu government is to create 15,000 skill labs at schools at a cost of ₹300 crore.

₹200 crore has been set aside for the second phase of Illam Thedi Kalvi scheme.

The total allocation for school education is ₹44,042 crore and the total allocation for higher education is ₹8,212 crore. - B. Kolappan

Tamil Nadu government will meet the higher education expenses of transgenders and it will be implemented through the transgender welfare board. ₹2 crore has been allotted for the purpose.

Government will also meet the hostel fee of transgenders. - B. Kolappan

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Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu says the Chief Minister’s Breakfast scheme will be extended to government-aided primary schools in rural areas. ₹600 crore has been allocated.

- B. Kolappan & Sanjay Vijayakumar

A detailed project report would be prepared for the restoration of major rivers in Tamil Nadu. - B. Kolappan

Desalination plant at Nemili that has been constructed at a cost of ₹1,517 crore would be inaugurated soon. Lakes and ponds in Tamil Nadu would be renovated at a cost of ₹500 crore, says Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu. 

- B. Kolappan

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu says ₹13,720 crore allocated for the DMK government’s flagship scheme - Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam- Sanjay Vijayakumar

Tamil Nadu government allocates ₹300 crore in the budget for civic amenities including roads for areas nearby city corporations.

- PTI

Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu says Chief Minister’s Thayumanuvar Poverty eradication scheme will identify five lakh families living in poverty and provide welfare assistance.

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu says ₹5 crore would be allocated to provide funding support to firms working on AI, machine learning, large language model for Tamil language. - Sanjay Vijayakumar

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu says budget focused on Grand 7 Tamil dream - social justice, welfare of marginalized, transforming Tamil youth as global achievers, knowledge-based economy, equality focused on welfare of women, sustainable future and Tamil language and culture. - Sanjay Vijayakumar

Tamil Nadu would get ₹44,760.83 crore as its share of Central taxes as per the revised Union Budget estimates for 2023-24, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday. This is about 7.4% higher than the ₹41,664.86 crore projected in the initial estimates.

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The Tamil Nadu Government plans to borrow ₹37,000 crore in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023-24, according to the indicative calendar of market borrowings released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

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