Tamil Nadu Budget 2024-25: Coaching plan for govt jobs aspirants, hostels for working women and more

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Monday presented the State Budget for FY 2024-25, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Budget was presented on the theme ‘Crossing obstacles and marching towards growth’.

The state government has announced a coaching plan in the budget for 1,000 aspirants for several government jobs under SSC, Railway, and bank exams in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai, PTI reported.

Thennarasu said that three new Thozhi Viduthigal hostels will be constructed in different parts of the state for working women. These hostels will be set up at a cost of ₹26 crore.

The state government will allocate ₹1,000 crore for school infrastructure development under Prof. Anbazhagan's schools development scheme, Thennarasu said.

It will also look after the higher education expenses of transgenders, which will be implemented through a transgender welfare board. For the same, ₹2 crore has been allotted under the Budget.

The DMK government stated that the State Budget is focused on the “7 grand Tamil dream,” including social justice, the welfare of the marginalised, transforming Tamil youth as global achievers, equality focused on the welfare of women, and a knowledge-based economy.

Thennarasu also introduced the ‘Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam’ housing scheme, named after the late DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Under this scheme, the state government shall provide eight lakh concrete houses in rural areas across the state to make the areas 'hut-free' by 2030.

The minister announced the allocation of ₹300 crore in the Budget for civic amenities, including roads for areas near city corporations.

Tamil Nadu has made significant progress in poverty reduction via its welfare schemes, said Thennarasu, noting that the NITI Aayog has said that people below the poverty line in the state are only about 2.2%.

Presenting the State Budget, Thennarasu further hoped that the 16th financial commission, which is headed by Arvind Panagariya, would "rationalise the distribution of tax revenue to the state".

The Water Resources Department will take up 22 permanent flood prevention and mitigation works in Chennai and other neighbouring districts, which were recently affected by Cyclone Michaung. For this, the state government will provide ₹350 crore.