Kerala budget 2016: Highlights of the budget presented by Finance Minister Thomas Issac

The Kerala budget was presented by Finance Minister Dr TM Thomas Issac at the Assembly on Friday, July 8.

Here are the highlights of the 2 hour and 56 minutes budget presentation:

• The budget presentation began at Kerala Assembly.
• Government staff to get one month salary in advance ahead of Onam.
• Labourers aged 60 and above will get a pension amount. 
• Kerala is the state, which spends huge sum of money for hospital expenses. A scheme will be introduced for free treatment of all diseases.
• Houses for everybody within the next five years. All houses will have water supply, electricity and toilets.
• Schools for differently-abled kids will be given Rs. 20 crore and Rs. 10 crore for victims of endosulfan.
• Adivasis to get 1 acre land.
• Scheduled tribes will be allotted Rs. 456 crore to buy land and build houses.
• New law will be created for migrant labourers.
• Transgenders to get special education concessions and schools will have good toilets for girls. Transgenders aged above 60 will be given a pension amount.

Pension scheme for transgenders; first reactions from Surya, Sheetal

• Funds allotted for four-lane roads, GAIL and airport development.
• A new factory will be set up in the state to produce medicine under FSDP.
• Agro parks to be set up throughout Kerala and Rs. 100 crore for coconut procurement.
• Rs. 385 crore has been allotted for paddy procurement and Rs. 50 crore to boost paddy cultivation.
• Coir sector will get a boost.
• Free uniforms will be given to students of standard 1 to 8 of all government aided schools.
• Taluk hospitals will be modernised for Rs. 1,000 crore, while Rs 500 crore for the development of government arts and science colleges, Rs. 100 crore for model residential schools and Rs 1,000 crore to set up 1,000 schools with international standards.
• Rs. 100 crore allotted for Kozhikode mental health centre.
• The medical college in Thiruvananthapuram will be be raised to the standards of AIIMS, New Delhi.
• Rs. 10 lakh each will be given to rehabilitate people who have been affected by Vizhinjam port project.
• Water authority's interest dues worth Rs. 1,004 crore to be dismissed. Water cess will not be increased for 5 years and the water authority will be made a no loss-no profit organisation.
• Thiruvananthapuram international film festival will get a permanent venue for Rs. 50 crore.
• Actor Kalabhavan Mani will get a memorial.
• Artists' pension has been increased to Rs 1,000.
• A museum will be set up in Sivagiri and Rs. 5 crore has been alotted for that.
• Rs. 135 crore for mini-stadium in all panchayat and multi-purpose indoor stadiums will be constructed in 14 districts for Rs. 500 crore.
• Rs. 50cr for Sabari rail project.
• Rs. 5,000 crore has been allotted for infrastructure projects and Rs. 385 crore for 17 by-passes in the state. To construct 138 roads, Rs. 2,800 crore will be allotted.
• Solar panels will be placed on all government offices.
• KSRTC buses to be converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) and 1,000 buses will ply from Kochi.
• Alappuzha will get a mobility hub.
• Public sector units will be allotted Rs. 100 crore.
• Industrial parks to be set up near to NH-47.
• Ropeway in Ponmudi will be set up for Rs. 200 crore.
• Rs. 100 crore will be allotted for heritage tourism project in Alappuzha and Thalassery, and conditions of the tourist spots will be improved using a budget of Rs. 400 crore. Rs 50 crore will be spent this year for it.
• To set up the proposed industrial corridor, 1,500 acre of land will be taken in Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad.
• Rs. 1,300 crore boost for IT sector.
• More than 1,500 start ups will be supported in the next 5 years.
• Rs. 50 crore has been allotted for Kudumbashree loans with an interest rate of 4 percent and Rs. 200 crore for Kudumbashree projects.
• All the bus stations and petrol pumps will have public rest rooms and Rs. 50 crore has been allotted for setting up more public toilets.

• Rs. 100 crore to ensure the safety of farmers from wild animals.
• In order to conduct exams online, Kozhikode PSC centre will be allotted Rs. 10 crore.
• Tax revenue will be increased by 25 percent.
• Mobile app to upload bills.
• Rates of disposable glasses and plates will be increased. 20 percent tax on disposable plastic.
• Food chain restaurants will be imposed with fat tax with 14 percent tax on burger and pizza.
• 2 percent tax on garments, 5 percent for coconut oil and wheat products in packets.
• Green tax on old vehicles and goods transport vehicles' tax will be increased by 10 percent. 
• The rate of Bengaluru and Chennai bus trips to cost more as tourist bus tax has been increased.
• 12:00 p.m. - The finance minister ends the budget presentation by quoting a poem of the Malayalam poet ONV Kurup.