Budget 2021: Poll-bound Kerala gets modern harbour, new highway

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced sops for several poll-bound states including Kerala on Monday during her Budget speech. The big-ticket announcements for Kerala include allocation for highways, metro and fisheries. Kerala is expected to go to polls in April this year. 

Rs 65,000 crore has been allocated for 1100 km of National Highway works in Kerala. This includes the 600 km section of Mumbai-Kanyakumari corridor in Kerala, said the Finance minister. 

The Kochi Metro project also found special mention in the budget speech, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing Rs 1957.05 crore for Phase 2 of the metro rail project.  The Kochi Metro Rail’s Phase 2 will cover 11.5 km.

Kochi will also see the development of modern fishing harbour, announced Nirmala Sitharaman. “I am proposing substantial investments in the development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres. To start with, 5 major fishing harbours – Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat – will be developed as hubs of economic activity. We will also develop inland fishing harbours and fish-landing centres along the banks of rivers and waterways,” she said. 

Apart from Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu also go to polls later this year, and there were special Budget announcements for these states as well. 

What Kerala asked for

However, some of the demands placed by the Kerala government have not been met. Kerala Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac told Manorama News prior to the Union Budget presentation that Kerala asked for support price for cash crops and financial assistance for the health sector.

The state had also demanded that the Union government raise its share in centrally sponsored schemes as well as to set aside funds for the Sabari rail project.  "Sabarimala is a pilgrim centre of national importance like Tirupati and it's the Union government's responsibility to develop the project. But it's now clear that they won't do it, hence at least share a part of the cost," he said.