The Tamil Nadu government has announced a slew of pro-people schemes in the state budget 2023-24, which was presented in the Assembly on Monday. The welfare schemes announced by finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan include free travel for women in state-run buses, a breakfast scheme for government school students and an allocation of Rs 10,500 crore for a food subsidy scheme, among others.
Tabling the budget in the assembly, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, said that the unprecedented and difficult reforms implemented by the government reduced the annual revenue deficit from around Rs.62,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore.
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Here’s a look at the top schemes and subsidies announced in the Tamil Nadu 2022-23 budget.
Rs 500 crore for CM Breakfast Scheme
A total of Rs 500 crore has been allocated to expand the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme for students, under which 18 lakh students will be benefitted.
The government will expand the morning breakfast scheme to all 30,122 government primary schools from next academic year, under the scheme.
Honorarium to Women heads of family
A scheme to provide a Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium for women heads of families was announced. The finance minister said that a monthly honorarium of Rs 1,000 for women family heads would be provided from the next financial year for those meeting criteria.
The scheme was launched by Chief Minister MK Stalin on September 15 to fulfil one of DMK’s key poll promises. An allocation of Rs 7,000 crore has been made for the scheme and guidelines will be released soon.
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Scheme for North Chennai
The ‘Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam’ scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore over the next three years. Under this, steps will be taken to identify and address the gaps in development and infrastructure deficit of North Chennai.
‘Naan Mudhalvan’ scheme
A total of Rs 50 crore was allocated for the Naan Mudhalvan scheme. Currently, under the scheme, about 12.7 lakh students from engineering, arts and science colleges are receiving training.
So far, about 12,582 engineering faculty and 7,797 arts and science faculty have also been trained, The Hindu reported.
‘Annal Ambedkar Business Champions’ Scheme for SC and ST entrepreneurs
The ‘Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme’ will be launched in the upcoming fiscal year which will provide 35 percent capital subsidy and offer a 6 percent interest subsidy for loans to procure machinery and equipment to SC/ST entrepreneurs. A total of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for this scheme.
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1,000 new buses and subsidies for free travel for women
In the budget, it was announced that the state government will procure 1,000 new buses and renovate 500 old buses at a cost of Rs 500 crore.
Additionally, an allocation of Rs 2,800 crore was made as subsidies towards free bus travel for women in state-run buses.
Also, a total of Rs 1,500 crore as subsidy has been allocated for student concession in bus fare and another Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated as diesel subsidy.
Power subsidy
A total of Rs 14,000 crore was allocated towards subsidy for Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO).
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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