Chennai: With a seven-point “grand Tamil dream”, along with 22 permanent flood prevention and mitigation projects and development initiatives for North Chennai, the Tamil Nadu Budget 2024-25 presented Monday by State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu estimated a total revenue expenditure of Rs 3,48,289 crore.
In his maiden budget, Thennarasu, who replaced Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) last year, revealed the estimated revenue deficit of the state to be over Rs 49,000 crore.
“In aggregate, the revenue deficit in Revised Estimates 2023-24 is estimated to increase to Rs 44,907 crore compared to Rs 37,540 crore in Budget Estimates. Excluding loss funding to TANGEDCO, the revenue deficit is estimated to be Rs 27,790 crore in Revised Estimates 2023-24, as compared to Rs 36,017 crore in Budget Estimates,” said Thennarasu.
The fiscal deficit in Revised Estimates (RE) 2023-24 is estimated to marginally increase to Rs 94,060 crore, as against Rs 92,075 crore in Budget Estimates (BE). The fiscal deficit as a percentage of gross state domestic product (GSDP) has increased from 3.25 percent in BE to 3.45 percent in RE 2023-24, owing to a downward revision in GSDP estimates.
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North Chennai development & flood mitigation
The industrial area of North Chennai — at the centre of media attention in December 2023 post the Chennai floods, oil spill, ammonia gas leak etc — has been allotted Rs 1,000 crore under the “Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam” (North Chennai development scheme).
The project includes construction of new tenements at Water Basin Road through Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore; super-speciality block in Children’s Hospital, Egmore, at a cost of Rs 53 crore; two new blocks in RSRM hospital, Royapuram, at a cost of Rs 96 crore; 3 new floors in Government Peripheral Hospital, Periyar Nagar, at a cost of Rs 55 crore; a new industrial training institute (ITI) at a cost of Rs 11 crore; restoration of Retteri, Villivakkam and Padi lakes at a cost of Rs 30 crore; and modernisation and computerisation of 10 schools at a cost of Rs 45 crore.
A new project to improve the sewerage and drinking water infrastructure, and to reduce water pollution in North Chennai will be initiated at a cost of Rs 946 crore.
Stating that the Union government has not released any disaster relief to Tamil Nadu from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), Thennarasu said that in the current budget a sum of Rs 8,398 crore has been allocated for the Water Resources Department. Of the allotted amount, close to Rs 350 crore will be spent on the 22 permanent flood prevention and mitigation works in Chennai and surrounding districts that were significantly affected by Cyclone Michaung.
Thennarasu noted, “In order to restore the damages caused by the unprecedented rainfall and consequent flooding in the southern districts, works for permanent flood control are being undertaken at a cost of Rs 280 crore.”
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The 7 objectives
“Virtues are the bedrock of a government,” said Thennarasu. “This Government, which is functioning on these ideals under the leadership of our honourable Chief Minister, has a grand Tamil dream. Akin to the colours of a rainbow, this dream has seven major objectives — social justice, welfare of the marginalised, transforming young Tamils as global achievers, knowledge-based economy, equality focused on the welfare of women, Sustainable green future, and Tamil language and culture.”
He announced a new scheme, ‘Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam’, which will be implemented in the coming year, at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore. Under this, 8 lakh concrete houses will be constructed in rural areas of the state to make Tamil Nadu “hut-free” by 2030. In the first phase, 1 lakh new houses will be built at a unit cost of Rs 3.50 lakh per house in the coming year.
He also stated that “to spread the euphonious notes of Tamil language across the world, an allocation of Rs 2 crore will be made in the coming year.”
Not just Tamil, but with a view to documenting and preserving the Saurashtra and Baduga languages spoken in Tamil Nadu, along with the linguistic resources and phonetic forms of various tribes such as Todar, Kothar, Solagar, Kani and Narikuravar from an ethnographic perspective, the state government will allocate Rs 2 crore for the benefit of future generations.
To help boys from poor and marginalised backgrounds studying in government schools realise their dreams of higher education and transform them into achievers, a grand scheme, “Tamizh Pudhalvan”, will be implemented in the coming financial year.
Archeological department
Tamil Nadu Budget has also allocated Rs 25.65 crore for the archaeology department.
Noting that Tamil Nadu is the only state in the country which has been consistently providing significant funding for archaeological excavations, Thennarasu allocated Rs 17 crore for the construction of an open-air museum in Keeladi.
He also allocated Rs 5 crore for excavation in eight locations in Tamil Nadu — including Keeladi in Sivaganga, Vembakottai in Virudhunagar, Porpanaikottai in Pudukkottai, Keelnamandi in Tiruvannamalai, Thirumalpuram in Tenkasi, Konkalnagar in Tirupur, Marungur in Cuddalore and Chennanur in Krishnagiri — and Rs 3 crore for determining the genetic antiquity, migration patterns and diet, among other things, of ancient Tamils.
Rs 65 lakh was allocated to conduct a pilot study for a deep-sea excavation in the coastal regions of Korkai and Alagankulam, the ancient ports of the Pandyan dynasty.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)