The re-elected Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala announced a whopping Rs 20,000 crore budget for handling the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal presented the budget and set aside an allocation of Rs 1000 crore for vaccination of everyone above the age group of 18 years.
Presenting his maiden budget, Balagopal also kept aside Rs 500 crore for building medical infrastructures such as equipment and facilities for COVID-19 patients.
“The previous government had allotted Rs 20,000 crore which had been fully utilised to face the pandemic. A second COVID-19 package of Rs 20,000 crore is announced now,” the finance minister said. “We will consider the concerns over the third wave of the pandemic. The health emergency existing is a challenge to the development prospects of the state,” he further said in his budget speech.
“It would include Rs 2,800 crore for emergency Covid situation; Rs 8,900 crore for those who have had serious issues with their livelihoods; Rs 8,300 crore will be used for providing interest subsidies,” Balagopal said.
Here are the highlights:
Welfare pension raised to Rs 1,600. Will come into effect from April
Eight lakh job opportunities to be created in the coming fiscal
Additional allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for local bodies
Procurement price of agricultural produce raised. Rs 170 for rubber; Rs 28 for paddy and Rs 32 for coconut
Rs 15,000 crore to be spent from KIIFB to complete major works in 2021-22
Rs 20 crore to create workstation facilities for work near home initiatives
Rs 20 lakh people to be given jobs through digital platforms
Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) to utilise digital platform to provide jobs
A skill mission to be set up to provide skills to 50 lakh youths
Rs 20 crore to work near home project
KFON project, which aims to make internet services affordable, will roll out in February and become operational by July
State to invest Rs 166 crore for KFON project
No monopoly allowed in the internet highway in state
K-Fon project to be rolled out in February
Laptops to be provided to poor families at half the price
30 centres of excellence to be set up within universities
500 postdoctoral fellowships to be instituted
500 postdoctoral fellowships instituted to attract bright minds
Classes in colleges affiliated with universities to be digitised
Rs 40 crore allocated to Kerala Innovation Challenge for expansion to 20 categories
Mentoring platform for start-ups to be set up
A pharma park will be set up for bulk production of drugs
Work on three industrial corridors to begin this year
Rs 10 crore for heritage tourism in Thiruvananthapuram; Rs 7 crore for Kochi Biennale
Champions Boat League to resume this year
Rs 100 crore for various rehabilitation activities of Non-Resident Keralites
Pension hiked to Rs 3,500 for expats and Rs 3,000 for NRKs who returned
75 days of minimum work guaranteed under under MNREGS
Five lakh new jobs in agricultural as well as non-agricultural sector
Those who work for a minimum of 20 days to receive Welfare Fund Board benefits
40,000 SC families and 12,000 ST families to be given homes under Life Mission
Blue, white ration cardholders to get 10 kg rice at Rs 15 per kg
Medicines to be delivered at doorstep for senior citizens
No treasury curbs for local self-government in 2021-22
School counsellors’ honorarium raised to Rs 24,000
Allowance of noon meal cooks in schools raised by Rs 50
Allowance for ASHA workers raised by Rs 1,000
Free treatment for accident victims for the first 48 hours
KFC to provide loans at 7 per cent to buy e-vehicles
KSEB to set up 236 new e-vehicle charging stations in 2021-22
KIIFB to allocate Rs 300 crore for Wayanad Medical College
Land acquisition for Silverline project to begin in 2021-22
