The annual budget (2022-23) was presented by Dr. P. Thiagarajan, Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu State on 18th March 2022 at State Legislative Assembly. This is the first full year budget of the DMK government headed by the Chief Minister Thiru. M.K. Stalin, that assumed office in May 2021.
The budget of the government led by the Chief Minister Thiru. M.K. Stalin sustains the features of Dravidian Model reflecting its special features besides taking further building of inclusive society.The Budget presented by TN State government has given equal weightage for social as well as economic development, which would have a synergic effect on the overall development of the State.
Salient features of the budget:
- the budget is first of all ‘populist’, since no new tax was levied; no increase in any fee or transport fare on the part of the government.
- the revenue deficit is more than Rs.7000 crore and the share of revenue deficit to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) dropped to 3.08 per cent in FY22 from the 4.15 per cent budget. This is the first reduction in State’s revenue deficit in eight years.
- to invite fresh investment for industrialisation thereby increasing the employment opportunities (mostly in small, medium and micro enterprises) industrial parks would be established in 5 districts.
- developing infrastructure to increase storage facilities that would facilitate export of goods and services, fetching more of forex revenue.
- priority for education with allocation of Rs.36,895.89 crores for school education with 120 vital announcements to encourage school as well as higher education.
- for women education, girls who studied from 6th std to +2 class in government schools and aspire to pursue degree, diploma in arts & science and professional courses will be financially assisted with Rs.1000/- p.m. till the completion of their higher studies.
- many progressive and welfare oriented schemes new as well as existing to develop agriculture, and allied sector.
Translation and Publication of Periyar thoughts in 21 languages
True to reflect the Dravidian ideology, for the first time Rs.5 crores is allocated for the translation and publication of selected writings and speeches of Thanthai Periyar in 21 languages (indigenous – Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Telugu, Urudu, Bhojpuri, foreign – English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, German, Italian, Korean and Japanese.
Renovation of Periyar Memorial Samathuvapuram
“Muthamizharignar Kalaignar established Periyar Memorial Samuthuvapurams with the aim of creating a discrimination-free egalitarian Tamil society. 149 Samathuvapurams, which have been neglected without maintenance for the last ten years, will be renovated in the first phase at a cost of Rs.190 crore.”