Highlights of Tamil Nadu Budget 2018-2019

Highlights of Tamil Nadu Budget 2018-2019

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In General

• In the Budget Estimates of 2018-2019, Rs. 27,205.88 crores has been allocated for School Education Department.
• There is no new Tax in this budget
• Tamil Nadu has got only 89% increase during the 14th Finance Commission. Karnataka recorded 155.14%, Maharashtra 148.93%, Gujarat 137.70% and Kerala 149.82%. An injustice has been inflicted to Tamil Nadu in allocation of funds compared to other states.
• The Tamil Nadu requested a special aid subsidy to the central government. But the Central Government has not yet responded.
• The 2018-19 budget estimates are estimated at Rs 1,12,616 crores.
• Tamil Nadu’s Economy has been affected by GST in the Indirect Taxes.
• Tax revenue is expected to increase by positive factors prevailing in the state economy.
• The loan to the first generation entrepreneurs has been increased from 1 crores to 5 crores
• A sum of Rs.587.50 crores has been provided for the ‘Member of Legislative Assembly Constituency Development Scheme’ (MLACDS).
• The Massive Tree Plantation Programme will be taken up at a cost of Rs.21.43 crores.
• A sum of Rs.490.45 crores has been provided for implementation of the scheme of ‘Free Distribution of Sarees and Dhoties’ in 2018-2019 to ensure continuous employment to handloom weavers in the State.

• In the ensuing financial year, buildings for fire stations will be taken up for construction at 20 locations at a cost of Rs.28.23 crores.
• As part of the accepting the UDAY scheme, the losses suffered by TANGEDCO has increased.
• During the ensuing financial year, the heritage buildings at Government arts and science college in Kumbakonam, Victoria Hostel in Presidency college and Queen Mary’s college in Chennai will be restored at a cost of Rs.26 crores.
• The State Government will infuse share capital of Rs.600 crores into the STUs for purchasing and inducting 3,000 new buses.
• For the effective implementation of the ‘Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act’, Rs.200.70 crores has been provided.

• 4,620.20 crores has been allocated for the Higher Education Department.
• In the recent publication of NITI Aayog, Tamil Nadu stands at third place among all the States in the country in health indicators and first place in higher education enrolment.
• The State Government has proposed to conduct the second Global Investors Meet on 23rd and 24th January 2019.
• 750 crores and Rs. 1,000 crores have been allocated to provide share capital assistance and subordinate debt respectively for the Chennai Metro Rail project.
• ‘Athikadavu – Avinashi drinking water supply-cum-irrigation scheme’ will be sanctioned shortly at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,789 crores.
• An amount of Rs. 2,717.34 crores has been allocated for the Transport Department.
• 11,073.66 crores has been 36 provided for the Highways Department.
• A sum of Rs.649.34 crores has been allocated for the Environment and Forests Department.
• In the Budget Estimates, Rs. 7,877.58 crores has been allocated for the Police Department.
• Taking into account the impact of the closure of TASMAC shops post the Supreme Court’s ban on liquor shops on the State and National Highways revenue receipts has been reduced.
• 540.66 crores has been provided for the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector.
• The per capita income has gone upto Rs.1,53,263 as against the national average of Rs.1,03,219.
• During 2018-2019, buildings for another 15 police stations and 543 residential quarters will be constructed besides taking up the construction of 35 structures for various purposes at a total estimated cost of Rs.217.41 crores.
• Further, one cybercrime police station will be established in all districts and Commissionerates at a total cost of Rs.23.28 crores for effective cyber-crime monitoring.
• For the year 2018-2019, the Government has fixed a target of issuing 3 lakh free house site pattas to poor families.
• An amount of Rs.786 crores has been provided for State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
• A comprehensive flood management plan for North Chennai and South Chennai has been prepared at an estimate of Rs. 2,055.67 crores and Rs. 1,243.15 crores respectively and submitted to the Central Government for support.
• The Government will commence the implementation of the Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project (TNRTP) funded by the World Bank in 26 districts at an estimated cost of Rs.920.63 crores.
• The total revenue receipts are projected to be Rs.1,76,251.48 crores and the total revenue expenditure is projected to be Rs.1,93,742.06 crores during 2018-2019, leaving a revenue deficit of Rs. 17,490.58 crores.
• GST has affected Tamil Nadu’s economy temporarily.
• It is also anticipated that the economy will grow faster and thereby enabling the State to reach 9% growth rate in 2018-2019.

Agriculture

• Overall for the agricultural sector, a sum of Rs. 8,916.25 crores is allocated in the Budget Estimates 2018-2019.
• Government will directly procure red gram, black gram and green gram, from 2018-2019 directly from farmers.
• An exclusive mobile application ‘Uzhavan’ will be launched for the use of farmers.

• In the ensuing financial year, fresh crop loans to the tune of Rs. 8,000 crores will be extended to farmers through cooperative institutions.
• The State Government has fixed a target of 110 lakh metric tonnes of food grain production for the year 2018-2019.
• A new ‘Amma Green Park’ will be developed at Guindy at a cost of Rs.20 crores.
• A new flower market complex will be developed at Hosur, Krishnagiri district.
• A maize processing unit will be set up at Mangalur, Cuddalore district.
• A post-harvest processing unit for flowers will be established at Thovalai.

Women Welfare

• Under the ‘Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme’, aimed at reducing IMR and MMR, the State Government has already enhanced the assistance from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 18,000 per beneficiary.
• A working women hostel will be constructed for working Muslim women on the place owned by Waqf Board in Chennai with Government’s financial assistance in the ensuing financial year.
• An amount of Rs. 4,000 will be offered for providing ‘Amma Maternity Nutrition Kit’, comprising iron tonic and nutrition supplements to reduce anaemia amongst pregnant women and improve the birth weights of infants.
• An amount of Rs.724 crores has been provided in the Budget Estimates for 2018-2019 for the Marriage Assistance schemes.
• An amount of Rs.250 crores has been provided for the ‘Amma Two Wheeler subsidy assistance scheme’.

• Besides, an amount of Rs.60.58 crores has been provided for the implementation of sanitary napkin distribution scheme under the Menstrual Hygiene Programme.

Information Technology

• An amount of Rs.158.11 crores is allocated for IT Sector in the Budget Estimates 2018-2019.
• Government will implement the Bharat Net Scheme to connect the villages with block headquarters through optical fibre network at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,230 crores through Tamil Nadu Fibre Net Corporation.

• Similarly, the State headquarters will be connected with district headquarters and block headquarters through optical fibre network under the Tamilnet project in PPP mode.

Health Department

• In this Budget Estimates 2018-2019, Rs. 11,638.44 crores is allocated for Health Department.
• Tamil Nadu has always been a forerunner in providing affordable and quality health care to its people.
• In the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) Tamil Nadu is the second best in the country.
• An amount of Rs. 1,361.60 crores has been provided in the Budget Estimates 2018-2019 for the ‘Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme’.
• Accident and Trauma Care Centres will be established in Ponneri and Nazareth pettai at a total cost of Rs.24 crores.
• New Cobalt units for cancer therapy will be established in Government Medical College Hospitals at Villupuram, Dharmapuri, Thiruvannamalai and Pudukottai at a cost of Rs.34 crores and the existing Cobalt units will be replaced in 10 Government Medical College Hospitals at a cost of Rs.35 crores.

• Two Linear Accelerators, 6 CT Scans and 4 MRI Scans will be provided at a cost of Rs.66.50 crores to Government Medical College Hospitals and Government Hospitals.

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Employment and Skill Development

• The present infrastructure gap in Government ITIs will be filled up at a cost of Rs.30 crores for enabling them to receive central grants.
• The Government will introduce new advanced courses, namely medical electronics, advanced machine tools, tool and dye making, power electronics and architectural assistance in 20 ITIs at a cost of Rs.38 crores, which will improve employment opportunities of the ITI students.

Tamil Development

• To preserve and propagate Tamil language and culture internationally, the Tamil Language Propagation Centre will be established at Tamil University, Thanjavur for which Rs.2 crores will be provided as annual grant.
• The Tamil Cultural Centre will also be established with an annual grant of Rs.1 crores.
• The monthly assistance to the artists in indigent circumstances will be raised from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000.

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Jayalalitha

• A Grand Memorial will be built in commemoration of the late Chief Minister Puratchi Thalaivi Amma at Marina at a cost of Rs.50.80 crores.

• The Centenary Celebrations of Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR will be celebrated as a grand function.
• A sum of Rs.20 crores has been allocated to convert ‘Vedha Nilayam’, the residence of the late Chief Minister, as a memorial.

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