Thiruvananthapuram Jan 29 (IANS) Kerala’s financial position has shown significant improvement, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said on Thursday, noting that while funds due from the Centre are yet to be received, the state has been able to manage its finances in a manner that allows it to move forward.
A postgraduate in Commerce and a first-time legislator, Balagopal, 63, presented his sixth straight budget.
After presenting the budget, he later told the media that as improvements in infrastructure development and related sectors gather pace, their positive impact will become visible in the coming phases.
This has given the government a sense of optimism about the state’s economic outlook, he added.
Rebutting Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan’s statement, Balagopal clarified that the budget was not aimed at elections but nevertheless included key welfare measures.
He said government intervention is necessary to ensure income security for ordinary citizens, and the budget reflects such interventions.
Revising allowances for ASHA workers, anganwadi employees, and similar categories is a responsibility of the state government, the Minister said, noting that the Centre has not increased its contribution for these workers for the past 12 years.
However, the state cannot delay timely interventions, and such measures have therefore been incorporated in the budget, he said.
Among the major announcements are group insurance coverage for Haritha Karma Sena workers, auto and taxi drivers, free treatment for the first five days for road accident victims, and an expanded Medisep scheme with enhanced benefits for government employees and their pensioners.
For infrastructure development, Rs 5,317 crore has been allocated through the KIIFB for the development of the MC Road, Rs 1,000 crore for the Vizhinjam port project, and Rs 100 crore for the RRT line proposed as an alternative to the K-Rail project.
An allocation of Rs 100 crore has also been made for initiating preliminary procedures for the Kasaragod high-speed rail project.
The budget also announced a feasibility study for the Kattappana–Theni tunnel road, the Vizhinjam–Chavara corridor, and the handover of the first batch of houses for Wayanad disaster-affected families in February.
–IANS
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