Amidst mounting criticism that the budget did not earmark adequate
funds to bail out the ailing KSRTC, Finance Minister K M Mani said that
an additional amount of `100 crore will be provided to the corporation
to tide over the crisis. The minister was replying to the discussions on
the State Budget 2013 in the Assembly on Wednesday.
In the light of the criticism from several quarters, including the open dissent lodged by Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed, the Finance Minister’s attempt was clearly aimed at taking the sting out of the Opposition campaign that even the Treasury benches had not given a good rating for the budget.
Announcing the additional grant of `100 crore, Mani, however reminded that the KSRTC crisis cannot be addressed by means the current allotment of `200 crore. ‘’The cabinet has to work out a package for a total bailout,” he said. The contribution of the government to the Dairy Farmers Welfare Fund will go up from `400 to `500 per farmer, whereas the same to the Vyapari Vyavasayi Welfare Fund will be `750 in lieu of `500. The other new allotments announced are `3 crore for promotion of People’s Tourism projects in 50 grama panchayats, `50 lakh for the development of Moyin Kutty Vaidyar Mappila Kalakendram at Tirur, `10 lakh for the Moidu Moulavi Smarakam in Kozhikode, `10 lakh for taking over of the house and book collection of late Sukumar Azhikode, `1 crore for a KSRTC sub-depot at Irinjalakuda, `10 lakh for development of bus stand at Mundakkayam etc.
The FM’s speech was marred by protests of the Opposition benches for some time who alleged total discrimination of LDF MLAs’ constituencies, when Mani kept pleading to wait and go through the whole announcements.
He completed the speech without interruptions after the Opposition members walked out.
With the additional outlay of `298.47 crore, the budget estimates for 2013-14 shows a total deficit of `825.34 crore. A Western Ghats Climate Change Research Institute will be set up at Kottayam,for which `5 crore has been sanctioned.
Mani announced a hike in the annual turnover limit of traders under S. 61 for compulsory sales tax registration to `10 lakh, from the existing `5 lakh. In a move to checkmate the role of speculators in skyrocketing land prices in the state, the FM announced that the stamp duty for registration of a property within six months from the date of the first sale has been fixed at one-and half-times than the normal duty. The finance Minister has earmarked funds for the Kochi Heritage Zone project (`13.85 crore), data bank for grama panchayats (`8 crore) and announced that sufficient funds will be earmarked for the River Management Authority.
In the light of the criticism from several quarters, including the open dissent lodged by Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed, the Finance Minister’s attempt was clearly aimed at taking the sting out of the Opposition campaign that even the Treasury benches had not given a good rating for the budget.
Announcing the additional grant of `100 crore, Mani, however reminded that the KSRTC crisis cannot be addressed by means the current allotment of `200 crore. ‘’The cabinet has to work out a package for a total bailout,” he said. The contribution of the government to the Dairy Farmers Welfare Fund will go up from `400 to `500 per farmer, whereas the same to the Vyapari Vyavasayi Welfare Fund will be `750 in lieu of `500. The other new allotments announced are `3 crore for promotion of People’s Tourism projects in 50 grama panchayats, `50 lakh for the development of Moyin Kutty Vaidyar Mappila Kalakendram at Tirur, `10 lakh for the Moidu Moulavi Smarakam in Kozhikode, `10 lakh for taking over of the house and book collection of late Sukumar Azhikode, `1 crore for a KSRTC sub-depot at Irinjalakuda, `10 lakh for development of bus stand at Mundakkayam etc.
The FM’s speech was marred by protests of the Opposition benches for some time who alleged total discrimination of LDF MLAs’ constituencies, when Mani kept pleading to wait and go through the whole announcements.
He completed the speech without interruptions after the Opposition members walked out.
With the additional outlay of `298.47 crore, the budget estimates for 2013-14 shows a total deficit of `825.34 crore. A Western Ghats Climate Change Research Institute will be set up at Kottayam,for which `5 crore has been sanctioned.
Mani announced a hike in the annual turnover limit of traders under S. 61 for compulsory sales tax registration to `10 lakh, from the existing `5 lakh. In a move to checkmate the role of speculators in skyrocketing land prices in the state, the FM announced that the stamp duty for registration of a property within six months from the date of the first sale has been fixed at one-and half-times than the normal duty. The finance Minister has earmarked funds for the Kochi Heritage Zone project (`13.85 crore), data bank for grama panchayats (`8 crore) and announced that sufficient funds will be earmarked for the River Management Authority.
Kushank Singhal
PGDM 2nd
No comments:
Post a Comment