The budget presented by him in the State Assembly on Friday, expectedly, focussed on women empowerment. His budget theme largely revolved around education and measures to beef up the state infrastructure such as transport and drinking water systems.
The Budget contains a slew of initiatives that primarily are directed at the core segment of the population. Just consider these:
* Under the ‘Kalaignar Kanavu Illam’ scheme, launched with the aim of constructing 8 lakh concrete houses in rural areas of Tamil Nadu by 2030, an additional one lakh houses will be taken up for construction in 2025-26 at a cost of Rs.3,500 crore.
* Under the ‘Mudhalvarin Grama Salaigal Membattu Thittam’ (MGSMT) scheme, introduced with the objective of creating quality road facilities to reach even the remotest hamlets of Tamil Nadu, a length of 6,100 kilometers of rural roads will be improved at a cost of Rs.2,200 crore in 2025-26.
* Under the scheme to reconstruct new houses in lieu of dilapidated houses, 25,000 new houses will be constructed in 2025-26 at an estimated cost of Rs.600 crore.
* The Budget has allocated a total subsidy of Rs 3,600 crore for the Vidiyal Payanam Scheme, which allows women to travel free of cost in ordinary fare state-owned public buses. This was one of the first schemes launched by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) upon coming to power in 2021.
* An allocation of Rs 13,807 crore has been made for the Kalaignar Urimai Thogai Scheme, which provides Rs. 1,000 to women household heads.
* The Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Puthumai Penn Thittam, aimed at promoting higher education among girls from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds, gets an allocation of Rs. 420 crore.
* The Budget announces the formation of 10,000 new Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the next financial year to include women from marginalised communities who have yet to be part of the SHG network. The state government has set a target of providing Rs. 37,000 crore in bank loans to SHGs.
*10 new working women’s hostels will be opened under the Thozhi Scheme in various districts, including Kanchipuram, Erode, Karur and Ranipet, at an estimated cost of Rs 77 crore. Three more hostels will be established in Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore.
* The Budget has allocated Rs. 36 crore to enhance its Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Scheme, targeting girls under the age of 14. In addition, Rs. 8,597 crore has been allocated to the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department.
* The Budget has extended both the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Puthumai Penn Thittam and the Tamil Puthalvan Scheme, which grants Rs 1,000 a month to students from government schools pursuing higher education, to transgender students. The Puthumai Penn Thittam covered only girl students. The Tamil Puthalvan Scheme was open to all students. Both schemes now appear to be accessible to trans-persons.
