The Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat’s annual budget for 2018-19 focusses on environment, infrastructure development, and social welfare.
The budget, showing a revenue of ₹392.27 crore, expenditure of ₹380.26 crore, and surplus of ₹12 crore, was presented by district panchayat vice president A. Shailaja Begum on Wednesday.
The agriculture sector gets an allocation of ₹8.5 crore. For ‘Kedaram’ project aimed at increasing the area under paddy cultivation in the district, ₹1 crore has been allocated. For the ‘Haritha Bhavanam’ project for promoting vegetable cultivation and planting of trees at homes, ₹3 crore has been allocated.
The ‘Jaiva Samridhi’ project for promotion of pesticide-free cultivation of vegetables through Kudumbasree groups and farmer groups gets ₹1.75 crore.
For animal husbandry and milk production, ₹9.73 crore has been set aside. The ‘Ksheera Samridhi’ project, with an allocation of ₹1.5 crore, will provide subsidy of ₹4 for each litre of milk to dairy farmers.
The social welfare, health, and education sectors together get an allocation of ₹49.3 crore. As part of the State government’s ‘Aardram’ project for improvement of primary health care centres and other government hospitals, ₹9.82 crore will be spent. Palliative wards will be opened in 10 hospitals in the district.
The ‘Patheyam’ project through which food is given to the needy gets an allocation of ₹6 crore. The scheme which was piloted in 10 panchayats has found wide acceptance.
For the construction of new roads and maintenance work on existing ones, ₹62 crore will be spent. The construction of houses under the State government’s LIFE mission got an allocation of ₹16.13 crore.
Entire project plan
In his introductory speech, district panchayat president V.K. Madhu said that the budget was more than the usual statement of revenue and expenditures for the year, as it reflected the entire project plan for the year. The shares of the Central and State governments too were reflected.
