Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Friday, while presenting the budget for the financial year 2025-26 in the Assembly, said that the state has survived the most intense phase of financial crisis.
Presenting the second Pinarayi Vijayan-led government's fifth budget in the Legislative Assembly, Balagopal announced a Rs 750 crore project for the rehabilitation of the Wayanad landslides victims.
During his address, the minister also said that despite the financial crisis faced by the state, it carried out all social welfare schemes and development projects.
Balagopal said that the government has spent Rs 3,820 crore on scholarships for students belonging to minority communities and Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes.
He further said that the Thiruvananthapuram metro project work will start this year.
Additionally, the Finance Minister announced that the final installment of Rs 600 crore for the revision arrears of service pensions will be paid this month.
"The two installments of salary revision arrears will also be granted within this financial year and merged into the Provident Fund (PF). Steps will be taken to disburse the two pending installments of Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears," he said in his budget address.
Balagopal also said that the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) will set aside Rs 500 crore for big projects.
Prior to Balagopal presenting the budget, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan raised a point of order by saying that no economic review was placed in the House ahead of tabling the budget.
He said that he had raised the issue earlier and the then Speaker had ruled that not placing the economic review ahead of the budget should not become a precedent.
"That ruling of the Chair has been violated two years after it was made. It is an impropriety. The Chair should ensure it does not happen again," he said.
Speaker A N Shamseer said that placing the economic review ahead of the budget was important and expressed hope that measures will be taken to ensure it is done in future.
Budget discussions will take place on February 10, 11, and 12, while the debate and voting on supplementary grant requests will be held on February 13.
