PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented a tax-free budget of Rs 13,600 crore for the FY 2025-26 in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
The budget, which is Rs 900 crore higher than the previous year’s outlay, includes a plethora of welfare schemes, particularly aimed at education, infrastructure and support for public sector undertakings and institutions.
Notably, the UT government, similar to Tamil Nadu, will provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month for a period of three years, starting this academic year, to students who have completed classes 6 to 12 in government schools and enrolled in UG courses. Furthermore, financial aid for women heads of BPL families has been raised to Rs 2,500 per month from Rs 1,000.
Revenue and expenditure
The budget will be financed through the union territory’s own revenue receipts of Rs 7,641.40 crore, central assistance and disaster relief fund of Rs 3,432.18 crore, Central Road Fund of Rs 25 crore, and centrally-sponsored schemes amounting to Rs 400 crore.
To bridge the fiscal deficit, the government has been permitted to raise a loan of Rs 2,101.42 crore, including a negotiated loan by the Government of India, said the CM in his budget speech.
Out of the total budget allocation, Rs 11,624.72 crore has been earmarked for revenue expenditure and Rs 1,975.28 crore for capital expenditure. The capital expenditure component has seen a notable rise to 9.8% of total expenditure, compared to 1.66% in 2021-22.
Education
The UT government will provide special financial assistance of `1,000 per month for a period of three years, starting this academic year, to students who have completed classes 6 to 12 in government schools and enrolled in UG courses. Financial assistance under the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Financial Assistance scheme will be extended to all courses for students admitted through Centac under government quota. Furthermore, government school students admitted in UG NEET courses will be provided a 100% fee waiver under the scheme.
Social welfare
Old age pensions will be increased by Rs 500 under all categories of the scheme. Financial aid for women heads of BPL families will be raised to Rs 2,500 per month from Rs 1,000, and monthly assistance of Rs 3,000 will be given to unemployed SC/ST widows and unmarried individuals above 30 years till they are married or employed.
Financial assistance will be provided for students studying in government and aided schools who have lost either of their parents: Rs 2,000 per year for students studying in classes 1 to 5, Rs 3,000 per year for classes 6 to 10 and Rs 4,000 per year for classes 11 and 12.