Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac’s Budget reiterates his government’s commitment to improving the condition of women and social transformation through gender budgeting.
The Budget fixes the total outlay for schemes meant exclusively for women in 2019-20 at ₹1,420 crore, which comes to 6.1% of the Plan outlay. This is up from ₹1,267 crore last year and nearly double the outlay of ₹760 crore in 2016-17.
When the special component for women in the general development schemes is taken into account, the gross provision in the Budget will be 16.85% against 14.6% in the 2018-19 Budget and 11.7% in 2017-18.
In the wake of the rainfall and floods in August last and their impact on women, gender concerns have been incorporated in the Budget so as to improve women’s livelihood opportunities. Prominent ones include livelihood package of Kudumbashree; increase in State’s share of MGNREGS to ₹21 crore to generate 10 crore person days of work; fallow land cultivation by Kudumbashree and MGNREGS — ₹12 crore (95% are women) and revival of small and medium cashew factories — ₹12 crore (95% are women); income support for traditional sector increased by ₹10 crore to reach ₹80 crore (90% are women); hike in funds allocated for self-employment programmes of the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation from ₹11 crore to ₹20 crore, with an increase in government guarantee too; increase in allocation for Ayyankali urban employment scheme by ₹25 crore to reach ₹75 crore (50% are women beneficiaries).
The budget also focusses on inclusion of a textbook module in schools on women’s constitutional rights and struggle against obscure practices in keeping with Kerala reformation. An amount of ₹1 crore has been earmarked for the State Council of Educational Research and Technology for the module. Other programmes on gender awareness will also be taken up. Psycho-social counselling for adolescent girls will be extended to more schools with the outlay nearly doubled to ₹26 crore. It also focusses on providing an enabling environment for women, more access to public places, encouraging participation in sport and adventure activities, art and culture, safe environments at home, in public places, and at the workplace.
Allocations have also been made for reconstructing anaganwadis and building new one, starting fresh-up centres and toilets for benefit of unorganised sector workers, and housing for vulnerable women through the Life Mission.
The Child Budget, prepared alongwith the Gender Budget by a team of the State Planning Board, led by Mridul Eapen, shows a small decline from 8.2% in 2018-19 to 7.7% in 2019-20.
These include ₹1.75 crore to the State Institute of Educational Technology for digital content development, ₹2 crore for programmes for students from tribal, plantation, and coastal areas, ₹3 crore for autism parks, ₹8 crore for libraries and classrooms, ₹10 crore for child protection and child care, and so on.
A sum of ₹59.38 crore has been allocated for promoting excellence among gifted children, ₹34 crore for high-tech school programme, ₹20 crore for Arogyakiranam programme for early detection of birth defects, deficiency, disease, and so on..