CHENNAI: Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Friday announced that Chief Minister M K Stalin would launch the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT) devised by the state government as an alternative to the BJP-led union government’s Vishwakarma Scheme, as the latter “reinforces the casteist divisions further”.
Responding to questions on the state budget for the 2025-26 fiscal, Thennarasu said 7,297 people have registered for KKT so far and the scheme would soon be launched at an outlay of Rs 138 crore.
Thennarasu said the Maharashtra government has removed 15 lakh beneficiaries from the list of monthly honorarium schemes and claimed that they have brought down the revenue deficit to Rs 46,000 crore. “On the contrary, in Tamil Nadu, despite implementing several welfare schemes, we have reduced the revenue deficit from Rs 68,000 crore to Rs 41,000 crore. This shows how the state has given importance to fiscal management,” he added.
On the achievements of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department, he said Rs 7,185-crore-worth temple lands and assets, which were under encroachment, have been retrieved during the last four years and consecration has been performed for 2,662 temples. He said the announcements on medical tourism, upgrading polytechnic institutes, and establishment of museums for Jain and Buddhist cultures in Kancheepuram or Nagapattinam would be made by the respective ministers during the demands for grants session in the coming days.
Citing the union budget, which he said “catered to only a few states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” the minister said the TN budget, on the contrary, benefits everyone in the state. “The union government is adopting a step-motherly attitude, giving more importance to Sanskrit and Hindi than Tamil. But the state’s budget gives importance to the languages spoken by tribals,” he added. Further, he pointed out that the union government had allocated a total of Rs 19,068 crore to Tamil Nadu towards railway projects in the past three years, whereas it proposes to allocate Rs 19,858 crore to Uttar Pradesh just for this fiscal.
Citing the book “Chip War” by economic historian Chris Miller, who said the country that leads the semiconductor sector would also lead in economic growth, the minister said the state government has announced a five-year scheme for the semiconductor sector. During the last four years, he said, the number of startups has grown five-fold, from 2,500 in 2021 to 10,649. Similarly, the number of MSME units that stood at 14.17 lakh in 2021, has gone up by 17.92 lakh, taking the total to around 32.1 lakh.
“Between 2011 and 2021, nine industrial parks were set up through the SIPCOT on 1,800 acres of land. However, in the last four years, 32 industrial parks have been established in around 16,880 acres. During the 10 years of the AIADMK regime, the SIDCO established 25 industrial estates. But the DMK government, within four years, have established 28 industrial estates,” he added.
Drawing a parallel with the lakhs of devotees who had gathered for the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh, the minister said, “We take pride in saying over 14 lakh people have visited the Kalaignar Centenary Library in Madurai, so far,” adding that over six lakh people visited the Keeladi Museum in the last two years.
Also, Thennarasu mentioned how the British in 1869 had ignored the advice of the then Madras governor to reduce tax on salt, which paved the way for Mahatma Gandhi’s salt satyagraha. “Through this, I wish to convey that the Madras State has always been in the forefront in raising its voice against the anti-people moves taken from the national capital. I reiterate that we will continue to be on the side of the people,” he added.
FM presents final supplementary estimates for FY25
Thangam Thennarasu presented the final supplementary estimates for 2024-25 to the tune of Rs 19,287.44 crore in the Assembly on Friday. Of the total, Rs 2,000 crore has been provided as share capital assistance to TNCSC to enhance its financial sustainability and infrastructure. The other key allocations include: Rs 1,400 crore (for Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam Scheme); Rs 1,036 crore (electricity dues to power utilities); Rs 1,000 crore (Transport department); and Rs 901.84 crore for mitigation activities related to Cyclone Fengal and the rainfall last monsoon
‘Students will get quality laptops worth Rs 20K each’
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu clarified that the DMK government would provide quality laptops worth Rs 20,000 each to students. He was responding to AIADMK MLA P Thangamani’s question on how could the state provide 20 lakh laptops in two years with an allocation of Rs 2,000 crore, as per unit cost would come to around Rs 10,000. Thennarasu said the Rs 2,000 crore allocation has been made in the first phase, and for the second year, an equal amount would be allocated. In a response, Thangamani said the finance minister, in the budget, did not mention that the allocation had been made for the just first phase and that was why he raised the doubt at the House