THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will restore the annual allocation of funds to MLAs for carrying out development work in their respective constituencies to Rs 5 crore, Finance Minister K N Balagopal has said. He was speaking at the general discussion on the state budget 2022-23 in the assembly on Wednesday.
The legislative assembly constituency asset development fund (LAC-ADF) was slashed from Rs 5 crore to Rs 1 crore to meet the emergency needs following the Covid outbreak. Meanwhile, autorickshaws will be exempted from ‘green tax’, the minister said. The budget had proposed levying green tax on diesel vehicles including three-wheelers, private, medium and heavy vehicles.
FM announces addl projects worth Rs 45 cr
The minister said the government was not in a position to increase the welfare pension. A hike of C100 will cost the state exchequer Rs 1,000 crore, he said. Balagopal announced additional projects worth C45 crore during his speech. They had not find mention in the budget presented on March 11.