By TCN News
Malappuram: The new Kerala Budget presented by Finance Minister KM Mani has given much importance to Malabar, especially Malappuram district. The Budget has been criticised as ‘Kottayam-Malappuram special’ as more importance is given to the two districts, besides Idukki.
Malabar in budget:
· Kasargode and Malappuram are two among the four districts where new medical colleges will be built, and Rs 5 crore has been set aside for the primary works.
· A hospital in the model of the Sree Chithra Hospital will be built in Wayanad.
· Rs 31 crore has been allotted for the Kannur Airport.
· Special endosulphan package with central aid, which will help for the expert medical treatment and security of those suffering from related illnesses.
· Rs 120 crore has been allotted for the renovation of the Kozhikode Indoor Stadium along with the Thiruvananthapuram Indoor Stadium.
· Rs 50 lakhs has been set aside to change the technical school in Naduvil in Taliparamb to polytechnic.
· A national research and training institute will be opened in Koothuparamb to give training for youth in agriculture.
· Special package to help the farmers of palm trees in Kasargode. Processing units of arecanuts and cashew nuts will be opened in the district.
· A diploma course in agriculture science will be begun in the Regional Agriculture Research Centre in Pattambi.
· Rs 1 crore has been set aside for the first phase of the construction of the academic block of the Kozhikdoe Government Engineering College.
· Rs 2 crore has been allotted for the setting up of the Linear Accelerator Machine for poor cancer patients in the Kozhikode Medical College.
Malappuram in the budget:
· A medical college will be opened in Malappuram district, though the exact place is not fixed. A total of Rs 5 crore has been allotted for the primary works for the setting up of medical colleges in Malappuram, Kasargode, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts.
· Malayalam University will be set up in Tirur in the name of father of the language Thunjath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, who lived in the place. Rs 1 crore has been allotted for the primary works.
· An educational-health hub will be opened in the Industrial are of Panakkad by the Kerala State Industries Development Corporation and the Inkel (, and Rs 1 crore has been set aside for this.
· Financial aid of Rs 25 lakhs will be given for the off-campus centre of the Aligarh Muslim University in Perinthalmanna.
· Special aid for the Kanjippura-Moodal road to make Vattappara, where accidents always take place, accident-free.
· Valluvanad Development Authority will be formed including the Perinthalmanna municipality and the nearby panchayats. Rs 26 lakhs has been set aside for the primary works.
· A fishing harbor will be constructed in Tanur, where small scale industries will be begun related to the model fishing village.
· Retails hypermarket with modern facilities will be opened in Nilambur.
· The construction deal for the Ponnani harbor project will be signed immediately. The recommendations of the Chennai-based ‘Malabar Ports’ have been agreed upon for the development of the harbor in public-private partnership.
· Funds have been allotted for the renewal of certain roads and construction of ring roads also.
· Help for the Malappuram Press Club, along with two others.
Aids will be provided for those expatriates who lose their jobs, and a helpline will be launched to ensure legal help for the expatriates. The grant for the state Waqf Board has been increased to Rs 2 crores.
The new budget has dropped the Rs 40,000 crore project for road development proposed by the last government in its budget. However, the project would be considered if the Al Baraka Financial Services came into functioning. New insurance projects will be brought for health, education (all students will be insured) and agriculture sectors. Dialysis centres will be opened in all districts.
An extensive project of Rs 500 crore will be carried out to provide employment for 1 lakh people. The social security cess has been hiked to 6% which may bring a big increase in the price of alcoholic beverages. The service charges of the Beverages Corporation also have been increased by 5%. All BPL (Below Poverty Line) families will be given 1 kg rice for Re.1 from September onwards, and Rs 200 crores has been allotted for the same in the budget. This was an important promise in the election manifesto f the UDF, by which it overcame the LDF which had promised rice for Rs 2.
Uniforms will be provided free of cost for students of the age-group 6-14 in the state government-run schools. Rs 1 crore has been allotted for the new insurance scheme for all students in the state. The mid-day meal programme which is now till 8th standard will be extended to 9th and 10th classes also, and Rs 5 crore will be spent for it. Braille printers will be provided to all the 14 government and aided schools for the blind all over the state.
However, the development of the Karippur International Airport did not find mention in the budget. MP of Kozhikode MK Raghavan has already expressed his displeasure at the ignorance. There are also no special packages to better the education situation of Malabar, and especially Malappuram district which faces an acute shortage of seats mainly in plus two.
Minister KM Mani has promised to make changes in case of any drawbacks in the budget, after criticism rose from even UDF MLAs that consideration was given only to Kottayam and Malappuram districts.