TAMIL NADU BUDGET 2023-2024

Tamil Development and Culture

• To honour the legacy of Tamil martyrs Thiruvalargal Thalamuthu and Natarajan, who sacrificed their lives to protect Tamil in the struggle against Hindi imposition, a memorial will be established at Chennai.

• In order to propagate the ideals of Annal Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution and the architect of a progressive and egalitarian India, the Government will provide a grant of Rs.5 crore to translate his works into Tamil language.

• • To give an impetus to the growth of Tamil as a global language by promoting its usage in the technology sector, an ‘International Conference on Tamil Computing’ will be held with the participation of renowned experts from across the world.
  • Efforts will be taken to promote and support sea cruises that will connect places of significance in Tamil culture. These cruises will showcase the rich history, literature, art, culture, handicrafts and cuisine of Tamil people and will spread the State’s glory across the seven seas. 

• The Government has been providing free bus pass to elderly Tamil scholars in recognition of their invaluable contribution to our language. In the coming year, the Government will extend this benefit to 591 more Tamil scholars.

• • Government will expand the widely popular Chennai Sangamam cultural programme to 8 major cities in the coming year. It will provide a platform to nurture folk art and artists and celebrate the shared cultural ethos of the Tamil people. An amount of Rs.11 crore is provided in this Budget for the purpose.
  • To preserve folk arts and to ensure that these traditions continue to flourish in the future, 25 part time folk art training centres will be set up across the State.

• To highlight the contribution of the Cholas who ruled the world, and to preserve artefacts and relics of that age, a ‘Grand Chola Museum’ will be set up in Thanjavur.

Health and Family Welfare

• The Welfare of workers, who are the bedrock of our economy, will launch a new initiative to address the issue of non-communicable diseases among workers in factories and in unorganised sectors like construction. The Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme will be expanded to 711 factories covering 8.35 lakh workers in the first phase. Health checkup camps will be held in these factories with specific 
• • emphasis on non-communicable diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes. Migrant labourers will also benefit under this scheme.
  • Under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, Insurance coverage of Rs.5 lakh is being given per year per family. During the current year, so far, 11.82 lakh patients have availed treatment worth Rs.993 crore, which is the highest since the inception of the scheme.

• The 1,000 bedded Kalaignar Memorial Multi Super Speciality Hospital in the premises of King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research Centre, Guindy will be inaugurated this year.

School Education

• • ‘Perasiriyar Anbazhagan School Development Scheme’ to modernize and upgrade physical Infrastructure at an outlay of Rs.7,000 crore over a period of five years. 

• In the Upcoming financial year, the Government will construct classrooms, laboratories and toilets at a cost of Rs.1,500 crore.

• The ‘Ennum Ezhthum’ Programme aims at achieving Universal Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for students in classes 1 – 3 by 2025. Owing to the positive response received, this programme will be expanded to classes 4 and 5 with an outlay of Rs.110 crore in the upcoming financial year.

• This International book fair will also be conducted next year.

• All schools functioning under various departments like Adi-Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, Backward Class, Most Backward Class & Denotified Communities, Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments and Forest will be brought under the School Education department.
• An iconic eight-storeyed library in two lakh square feet, with all modern amenties is being constructed in Madurai, the seat of Tamil Sangam.
• This will be named Kalaignar Centenary Library to mark the commencement of centenary celebrations of Muthamizharignar Kalaignar. Rs.40,299 crore has been allocated towards School Education Department in the Budget.

Higher Education and Skill Development

• 54 Government polytechnics will be upgraded as ‘Centres of Excellence’ at a total cost of Rs.2,783 crore under this scheme.

• • “Tamil Nadu World Innovation and Skill Training Hub” (TN-WISH) at Ambattur at a cost of Rs.120 crore with the objective of providing skill training to trainers in ITIs and polytechnics and to create a highly skilled workforce.

• To scale up skill training infrastructure in a massive way, factories will be used as Skill Development Centres. Industries will be incentivized to provide on-the-job-training to youth in factories. In this Budget, an amount of Rs.25 crore has been allocated for this ‘Factory Skill Schools’ programme.

• The Perunthalaivar Kamarajar College Development Scheme was launched last year.

• In the current year, works such as construction of new classrooms and additional laboratories have been taken up in 26 Government polytechnic colleges and 55 Government arts and science colleges. These works will be carried out in the coming financial year also at an estimated cost of Rs.200 crore.

• Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC) will implement a scheme in co-ordination with Anna Staff Administrative College to help civil services aspirants to access better coaching facilities and materials. Every year 1,000 civil services aspirants will be short listed through a screening test. Each aspirant will be provided Rs.7,500 per month for 10 months to prepare for the preliminary examination. Those students who clear the preliminary examination will be provided a lumpsum amount of Rs.25,000. For this programme, an amount of Rs.10 crore has been allocated to TNSDC in the Budget Higher

Youth Welfare and Sports

• The Government through the Chennai Metropolitan Development Agency will set up a state-of-the-art Global Sports City in Chennai

• Comprehensive renovation of the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Outdoor Stadium, Chennai and equip it with modern sports facilities at an estimated cost of Rs.25 crore.

Adi-Dravidar and Tribal Welfare

• Higher four new hostels will be constructed with modern facilities in Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Nilgiris at an estimated total cost of Rs.100 crore.
• Government will bring a new legislation to ensure adequate allocation of funds and effective implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Tribal Sub Plans.
• In order to promote economic development of SC/ST entrepreneurs, a new scheme called „Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme‟ will be launched
• The new scheme will provide 35 per cent capital subsidy and offer 6 per cent interest subvention for loans to procure machineries and equipment.  A sum of Rs.100 crore is allocated for this scheme.
• “Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation Development Scheme” will be launched to ensure basic amenities in Adi Dravidar habitations in both urban and rural areas and to bring about comprehensive socio-economic development. The scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs.1,000 crore over a period of 5 years. 

Welfare of Differently Abled 

• RIGHTS project is being implemented at a cost of Rs.1,763 crore with financial assistance from World Bank. The main objective of this project is to create an inclusive society by promoting accessibility through creation of barrier-free structures and employment opportunities through vocational training. The project will be implemented in 15 districts

Women Empowerment

• Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme.

• Nearly 1 crore women in Tamil Nadu may get covered under the State government’s scheme of universal basic income Magalir Urimai Thogai.
• TN to launch Rs 1,000 monthly financial aid for women home makers from September 15. It has allocated Rs 7,000 crore for the scheme.

• The Tamil Nadu government will establish an exclusive ‘Startup Mission’ for women.

• To support business incubators who propose to specialize in areas like climate tech, rural tech, agri tech and marine tech, Startup TN will assist them in raising funds from various sources to set up Centre of excellence, and will also bear up to40% of the cost of such upgradation.

1. TN targets bank loans to the tune of Rs30,000 crore for women self-help groups.

Infrastructure Development

• The textile industry in the state got a boost as the government announced the establishment of a new textile park in Salem at a cost of Rs.880 crore with funding from Union and state governments and private sector participation.
• Metro rail services to be launched in Coimbatore and Madurai. It has earmarked Rs.9000 crore and Rs8,500 crore to implement the project
• Rs.500 crore allocated for procurement of 1,000 new buses and refurbishing another 500 buses
• New multi super specialty facility will be built in Stanley Medical College Hospital along with a nursing college and hostel
• A training institute for advanced technology would be set up at Ambattur at a cost of Rs.120 crore.
• “Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam” at a cost of ₹1,000 crore over the next three years. This scheme will be implemented to ensure balanced and equitable development of the city.
• The restoration of Adyar river will be taken up for on the 44km stretch with various recreational facilities to realise the objective of Singara Chennai project. The ₹1,500 crore project is expected to be implemented through public private partnership (PPP).

Miscellaneous

1. A new wildlife sanctuary ‘Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary’ – spread across 80,567 hectares in the forest ranges of Anthiyur and Gobichettipalayam in Erode district.
2. An international bird centre at Marakkanam to promote the conservation of birds, encourage research in the field of ornithology and create awareness on the role of birds in nature.
3. Long term flood mitigation work is being taken up at a cost of ₹320 crore in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore districts.
4. Rs.2,000 crore allocated for Tamil Nadu Neithal Metci Iyakkam.
5. 10,000 small water bodies and ponds to be renovated at a cost of Rs.800 crore
6. Innovation facility including open air theatre at Chennai Island Grounds

Rs.77,000 crore allocated for developing a mega power project to generate 14,500 MW power by 2030.