Hike in welfare pensions and relief measures for farmers were sparkled in the Kerala 2021-22 budget presented on Friday by Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac. The Budget announcements assume significance as Assembly polls are just months away. It is the final Budget for the present LDF government. The full-fledged Budget, the House would pass only a vote-on-account for four months as the tenure of the present government ends soon.
Beginning his speech by listing out various initiatives implemented by the State government to fight the Covid19 pandemic, the Finance Minister said the Budget would be a vision document of the development and priorities in the post-Covid Kerala. He said the Left government, which had fought two consecutive floods and novel coronavirus pandemic effectively, considered each challenge and crisis it confronted as new opportunities. “The Left government ensured that no one sleeps hungry during the time of the pandemic, it also instilled confidence in the minds of people,” the minister added.
Giving push on higher education and employment along with social welfare steps in the Budget, Isaac said 8 lakh new job prospects would be created in the State and added 20 lakh people would be given employment in five years through digital platforms. Encouraging people at the grass-root level, various welfare pensions were raised to Rs. 1,600 (R1,500 at present) from this April.
In a relief for farmers, the floor price of rubber was raised to R.170 while the procurement price of paddy increased to Rs28 and coconut to Rs32. A total of 4,000 new posts in the health sector, skill mission for 50 lakh youth, laptops at subsidized rate for poor families and Rs2,000 for infrastructure development in universities were among the significant announcements.
Kerala CM to dedicate Arts & Crafts Village on Jan 16, MP Tourism Minister visits site
Civic polls elevates joy to Kerala Literacy Mission as its 859 personnel made victory
Gods own Country suffered Rs 1.56-La-Cr revenue loss due to pandemic