Chennai, Feb 23 (UNI) Amid much expectations, Deputy
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who also holds the
Finance portfolio, presented the interim budget in the
Tamil Nadu Assembly, pegging the debt burden at
Rs 5.70 lakh crore, which went up due to the covid
pandemic.
His his budget speech, Mr Panneerselvam, while announcing
allotments for various sectors, said the State's debt burden
which was currently at Rs 4.85 lakh crore will increase to
Rs 5.70 lakh crore.
Stating that revenue deficit was unavoidable due to the
pandemic, he said the revenue deficit is estimated at
Rs 41,437 crore for this year.
He said the revenue has decreased due to the Covid impact
and on the other hand expenditure has increased, while
lauding the efforts of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami
in bringing the Covid pandemic under control.
While urging the Centre to reduce the Cess tax on fuel, the
Deputy Chief Minister announced allocation of Rs 5,000 crore
for waiver of crop loans announced by the chief minister.
He said Rs 144 crore has been allocated for Amma mini clinics.
Stating that 12,000 new buses including 2,000 e-buses will be
procured at a cost of Rs 1,580 crore, Mr Panneerselvam said
Rs 6,683 crore has been allocated for the Metro Rail Project
in Coimbatore.
He said Rural development department has been alloted Rs 21,218
crore. Highways department gets Rs 18,750 crore, while higher
education and school education departments were allocated
Rs 5,478 crore and Rs 34,181 crore respectively.
While announcing that Computer Science will be included as a
subject from Class 6 to 10 in government schools,' he said
Rs 2,470 crore has been allocated in the budget for the
construction of 11 new medical colleges, which would enable
the State get additional 1,650 seats.
Mr Panneerselvam said Rs 7,217 crore has been allotted for
power sector and Rs 19,420 crore for healthcare.
He also announced that the government will provide health
insurance cover to 55.67 lakh families living below the
poverty line and Rs two lakh as compensation if the family
head dies due to natural causes and Rs four lakh for
accidental death.
Mr Panneerselvam said Rs 11,894 crore has been allotted for
the agriculture sector and Rs 1,02,000 crore for government
employees and pensioners.
He also said Rs 3,700 crore will be allotted under the PM
housing scheme and Rs 6.941 crore for the Cauvery-South
Vellaru river linking project.
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