Welfare pension hiked, relief measures for farmers in Kerala Budget

Hike in welfare pensions and relief measures for farmers were proposed 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.

Though it is a full-fledged Budget, the House would pass only a vote-on-account for four months as the tenure of the present government ends soon.

Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund Board become a reality

Vision document

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 pandemic, it also instilled confidence in the minds of people,” the minister said.

Startup Mission to hold virtual Seeding Kerala investment in February

Giving thrust on higher education and employment along with social welfare measures in the Budget, Isaac said eight lakh new job opportunities would be created in the State, and added 20 lakh people would be given employment in five years through digital platforms.

Wooing people at the grass root level, various welfare pensions were raised to ₹1,600 (₹1,500 at present) from this April.

The renovation of 4,830 km of roads would be completed, the minister said.

In a relief for farmers, the floor price of rubber was raised to ₹170 while the procurement price of paddy increased to ₹28 and coconut to ₹32.

A total of 4,000 new posts in the health sector, skill mission for 50 lakh youth, laptops at subsidised rate for poor families and ₹2,000 for infrastructure development in universities were among the significant announcements.

Isaac also criticised the farm laws against which farmers were agitating in New Delhi and the alleged “neo liberal” policies of the Centre.