Agriculture and Co-operation

1. 7.  With a view to rejuvenating the agriculture sector, this Government has waived the cooperative loans of farmers on the very podium on 13.5.2006, the day this Government assumed charge and the cooperative institutions have been compensated to the tune of Rs.4,493 crores so far.  Following this, the Union Government has also waived the agriculture loans of small and marginal farmers in our country. Due to these actions, farmers of our state are fully liberated from the burden of debt and are now availing fresh crop loans. A sum of Rs.1,250 crores has been disbursed as crop loan during 2006-2007, Rs.1,360 crores in 2007-2008 and Rs.1,325 crores this year so far.  Fresh crop loans to the tune of Rs.2,000 crores will be disbursed during 2009-2010.
2. 8. This Government, conscious of the fact that it is the  sweat and toil of the farmers which contributes to the core of a nation’s prosperity and hence concerned with their welfare, has ensured easy availability of co-operative crop loans being their most essential need.  In addition, this Government has reduced the interest on crop loans from 9 percent to 7 percent in the year 2006-2007, further reduced it to 5 percent in year 2007-2008 and has further reduced it to 4 percent in the last Budget, thereby, enabling poor farmers to avail crop loan at low interest rates.As yet another example of the care and concern of this Government towards the farmers of the State who toil for the prosperity of the nation, for the first time in our country, this Government has decided not to charge interest on co-operative crop loans hereafter to all farmers who repay their crop loans on time from the ensuing financial year.  The Government will pay that interest to the co-operative institutions. For this purpose, a provision of Rs.140 crores has been made in this Budget.
3. 9.                 As announced in the previous Budget, 10,000 self help groups of farmers, availing loan from primary agricultural cooperative banks, have been formed and each group has been provided with a revolving fund of Rs.10,000. In the coming financial year, the number of such groups will be increased to 20,000.  Revolving fund will be provided to these new groups as well.
4. 10.             Agricultural productivity has increased as this Government has encouraged our farmers to adopt new technologies like System of Rice Intensification and Precision Farming and consequently the income of farmers adopting these new technologies has also gone up.    In order to encourage farmers to use these techniques Agriclinics are being set up in all 385 blocks so that all necessary services could be provided to the farmers at a single place. With a view to encouraging farmers to cultivate more remunerative horticultural crops, National Horticulture Mission will be implemented at an outlay of Rs.200 crores in the coming financial year.  A sum of Rs.30 crores has been provided as State share for this scheme.
5. 11. In order to ensure supply of fertilizers to the farmers without any shortage, financial assistance of Rs.70 crores has been provided to the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Marketing Federation. Keeping the welfare of farmers in mind, this Government has provided an incentive of Rs.120 and Rs.100 per quintal for fine and common varieties of paddy, respectively, over and above the Minimum Support Price and incentive fixed by the Union Government. Thus, the procurement price for common and fine varieties of paddy has been enhanced to Rs.1,000 and Rs.1,050 per quintal respectively. A sum of Rs.200 crores has been allocated in this Budget for providing the incentive given by the State Government.  Moreover, the State Advised Price for sugarcane has been increased thereby ensuring that farmers get Rs.1,220 per tonne.
6. 12. Due to the damage caused by the recent floods of North East Monsoon, paddy and other crops cultivated in 14.25 lakh acres were affected. A sum of Rs.388 crores has been disbursed as compensation to 10.4 lakh affected farmers.  The land revenue will be waived for this fasli year in these 12 flood affected districts. 
7. 13. This Government is providing 50 percent of the insurance premium as subsidy to the farmers from the year 2006-2007 to protect them from the crop loss suffered on account of natural calamities. Due to this, the number of farmers availing crop insurance has gone up from about one lakh to 8.5 lakhs in the last three years.  Subsidy will be provided to 25 lakh farmers to insure their crops in the coming year under this scheme. A sum of Rs.40 crores has been provided for this purpose. In addition, a sum of Rs.200 crores has been provided as State’s share in this Budget for providing compensation for crop loss.
8. 14.             As a result of the keen and enthusiastic efforts taken by this Government in the past three years, food production in our State has increased considerably.  It is evident from the fact that as against the food production of 61 lakh tonnes in 2005-2006, 84 lakh tonnes were produced in 2007-2008. During the current financial year 2008-2009, even though the State was affected very severely by floods, our food production is expected to be about 91 lakh tonnes.
9. 15.             Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers Welfare Board, established by this Government for the welfare of farmers and agricultural labourers in the year 2000 and subsequently abolished, was revived again and various benefits are being provided to the farmers and agricultural labourers. 170 lakh members have been registered under this scheme so far and various benefits like assistance for education, marriage, and pension are being provided to them. A sum of Rs.152 crores has been provided for this scheme in this Budget.
10. 16.             The great scheme of providing free power to all farmers, introduced by this Government, will be continued in the coming years as well. A provision of Rs.279 crores has been made in this Budget as State Government’s subsidy to Tamil Nadu Electricity Board for this scheme.  

Animal Husbandry

1. 17.             After assuming charge, this Government has appointed 492 veterinary assistant surgeons and 743 animal husbandry assistants.  Livestock Protection Scheme has been revived and 149 lakh cattle have been treated in 12,037 veterinary camps held so far.  5,500 veterinary camps benefiting 68 lakh cattle will be conducted in coming financial year as well.
2. 18.             With a view to increasing milk production, this Government announced a new scheme for providing crossbred milch animals to the women self help groups in the last Budget. In the coming financial year, 5,000 crossbred milch animals along with other support measures will be provided to the women self help groups through the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers Federation in 100 villages in the State which are suitable for milk production.

Irrigation and Flood Control

1. 19.             This Government will continue to take all necessary legal measures with determination, on the basis of respect for national integration, to fully protect the rights of our state, regarding all  disputes in sharing river waters affecting the livelihood of farmers of our State such as, sharing of Cauvery river waters, opposition to raising the water level in Mullai Periyar Dam, Neyyar river waters and attempts to construct check dam across Palar.
2. 20.             The World Bank Aided Irrigated Agriculture Modernization and Water-Bodies Restoration and Management (IAMWARM) project is being implemented at a cost of Rs.2,547 crores with the objectives of improving the water resources in our state and  introducing modern agricultural practices, thereby enhancing the agricultural productivity and income of farmers in our state. This project will benefit about 16 lakh acres of agricultural land.  Works have been taken up in 25 sub basins.  During 2009-2010, works will be undertaken in 38 more sub basins. A sum of Rs.533 crores has been allocated for this project in the Budget for the year 2009-2010.
3. 21.             This Government, with the assistance from NABARD, is implementing canal improvement works in the important irrigated regions of the State. A sum of Rs.50 crores for improving the Grand Anicut Canal and its structures and another sum of Rs.4 crores for rehabilitating Kalingarayan Canal have been provided in this Budget.
4. 22.             A Committee of experts headed by Thiru Mohanakrishnan, Chairman of Cauvery technical cell will be constituted to examine and submit a detailed report regarding implementation of Athikadavu-Avinasi canal project, a long standing request of the people from Coimbatore and Erode districts.  Further, with the financial assistance from NABARD, a dam at an estimated cost of about Rs.7 crores will be constructed across Nallathangal Oodai at Kothayam village near Ottanchatram in Dindigul district.
5. 23.             This Government announced last year a major scheme for conserving the unutilized surplus water of rivers and rivulets by means of check dams in the water stressed areas of the State so as to utilize the same for agriculture and drinking water purposes throughout the year. Under this scheme, works for construction of 48,500 check dams and ponds at an estimated cost of Rs.550 crores are being executed through various departments. A sum of Rs.100 crores has been provided for this purpose in this Budget.
6. 24.             As announced in the Budget Speech of 2006-2007, sanction has been accorded and works are being undertaken for flood mitigation scheme in Madurai at an estimated cost of Rs.12 crores.  Similarly, permanent flood protection works against floods in Cauvery and Coleroon rivers in Karur, Trichy, Ariyalur and Perambalur districts have been taken up at a cost of Rs.211 crores. A sum of Rs.155 crores has been allocated for these works in this Budget. With a view to preventing flooding of Chennai City, a major project at an estimated cost of Rs.1,448 crores has been approved under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The works under this project will commence in the ensuing financial year.
7. 25.             Based on the resolution of National Development Council for providing financial assistance under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme for linking intra-state rivers in the first phase under National Programme for Interlinking of Rivers, this Government has accorded sanction for construction of Kattalai Barrage across Cauvery under the  Cauvery-Gundar interlinking project for taking the surplus flood water to water deficit districts and for interlinking project of Tamirabarani-Karumeniyar-Nambiar so as to divert the surplus flood water of Tamirabarani river to the dry areas of Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts.  Preliminary works for these projects have commenced recently.  In the coming financial year, a sum of Rs.200 crores has been allocated for these two projects. We urge the Union Government to provide the necessary financial assistance for these projects early.
8. 26.             With a view to highlighting the importance accorded by this Government to agricultural sector and farmers, a separate Appendix (No.22) has been added to the Appendices to the Budget Memorandum.  I am happy to inform that a total sum of Rs.5,236 crores has been provided for the agricultural development under Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Co-operation, Public Works and Revenue Departments. 

Public Distribution System

1. 27.             By providing essential commodities at low prices under Public distribution system, this Government has lessened the burden of inflation to a large extent.  Accordingly, with a view to removing hunger of the poor, this Government has created a record by providing rice at one rupee a kilogram, which is the lowest in the country and essential food items like toor dhal, urad dhal, palm oil and wheat flour under the Special Public Distribution System and ten cooking condiments at Rs.50  under the scheme of ‘Condiments at affordable prices’.  For these pioneering measures of this Government a provision of Rs.2,800 crores is made in this Budget as food subsidy.  In addition to issuing family cards to all eligible persons, with a view to ensuring that the commodities are supplied at correct weight in fair price shops, this Government has provided electronic weighing machines to all fair price shops in the State at a cost of  Rs.12 crores.

Law and Order

1. 28.             This Government is working vigilantly to ensure law and order and communal harmony in the State. Due to effective action of the Police department attempts to fan extremism from neighbouring states into our State have been thwarted. This Government will take severe action against those who try to impair public tranquility and incite violence and challenge the integrity and sovereignty of the nation.
2. 29.             Recommendations of The Third Police Commission, constituted by this Government to promote the welfare of the Policemen have been examined.  I am happy to announce that this Government has approved 278 recommendations out of 444 recommendations. Among these, delegation of power to the Director General of Police to fill up vacant posts of Constables and Sub-Inspectors and increasing the allowances of Policemen are worth mentioning. After this Government took charge, 11,334 Policemen and 741 Sub-Inspectors have been recruited for appointment. The total allocation for the Police department, which was Rs.1,346 crores in 2005-2006, will increase to Rs.2,855 crores in the coming year.

Judiciary

1. 30.             Hon’ble Chief Minister Kalaignar had announced that necessary buildings for courts and quarters will be built in our state over a period of four years at a cost of Rs.300 crores. As per this, building works to the tune of Rs.138 crores have been sanctioned by the Government and are being executed. Besides this, sanction is being accorded for construction of 22 court buildings and quarters. In the past three years, this Government has ordered for creation of 101 new courts and with a view to expediting the disposal of the cases, as a pioneering effort in our country, Government has sanctioned the constitution of 56 evening courts. Totally a sum of Rs.378 crores has been provided for the Judiciary in this Budget.

New Legislative Assembly Complex

1. 31.             Pursuant to the announcement during the Golden Jubilee Celebration commemorating 50 years of service in the Legislature by the Hon’ble Chief Minister Kalaignar, a new Legislative Assembly complex  adopting our traditional Dravidian style of architecture has been conceived and the works are fast progressing at Omanthoorar Government Estate.  These works will be completed by April 2010.    A provision of Rs.200 crores has been made in this Budget for this work.

School Education

1. 32.             In the past three years, this Government has taken all efforts like awarding time scale of pay to all school teachers, filling up vacant posts of teacher, creating new posts of teacher wherever necessary and improving school infrastructure, to enhance the quality of education imparted in Government schools. In the coming academic year, 100 middle schools will be upgraded as high schools and 100 high schools will be upgraded as higher secondary schools. Several states have started adopting the Activity Based Learning, implemented in our state.
2. 33.             Tamil Nadu is implementing Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in an exemplary manner. During the past three years Rs.2,338 crores have been allocated for this scheme. 336 new primary schools have been started and 1,577 primary schools have been upgraded as middle schools. Primary school dropout percentage has decreased to 1.23% in 2007-2008 from 12% in 2001-2002.  Middle school dropout percentage has decreased to 1.90% in 2007-2008 from 13% in 2001-2002. In addition to building 15,788 classrooms in the first two years of this regime, 9,085 classrooms are being constructed during 2008-2009. This scheme will be implemented at a cost Rs.820 crores in the coming financial year and a sum of Rs.328 crores is provided in this Budget as State’s share. The infrastructure of high schools will be improved at an outlay of Rs.800  crores under the new national scheme for secondary education of the Union Government. A provision of Rs.200 crores has been made as State’s share for this scheme. As an outcome of the efforts taken by this Government to improve the quality of education, the report that the school children in our state rank first in term of competencies in language, mathematics and reading and comprehension in the entire country in the recently conducted national level survey is gratifying.
3. 34.             This Government is implementing works to improve the infrastructure of the government and local body schools in the State. Under the panchayat union schools renovation programme implemented by Rural Development department, from the year 2007-2008 works to the tune of Rs.188 crores in 14,546 schools have been completed so far. In the coming financial year also improvement works will be taken up in 5,000 schools at a cost of Rs.85 crores. In addition to this, buildings for 421 government high and higher secondary schools are being constructed with the assistance of NABARD. A sum of Rs.250 crores is allocated for these works in the coming financial year.
4. 35.             After this Government assumed charge, all government high schools and higher secondary schools have been provided with computers in the last three years. As announced in the last Budget, 2,200 middle schools have been provided with computers under the scheme of providing computers in a period of three years to all government and local body middle schools. A sum of Rs.50 crores has been allocated for providing computers to 2,500 middle schools in the coming financial year.
5. 36.             This Government has abolished the public examination fees of about eleven lakh 10th and 12th standard Tamil medium students belonging to government and aided schools, special fees paid by about 50 lakh students studying from 6th to 12th standard and special fees paid by students of government industrial training institutes. Through these measures, it has been ensured that complete free education is imparted in government and aided schools.
6. 37.             By conducting refraction test to all students studying in middle, high and higher secondary schools in our state, a new scheme for providing free spectacles to those with defective vision will be implemented at a cost of Rs.5 crores, under National Rural Health Mission, in the coming financial year.
7. 38.             In the coming financial year, a sum of Rs.58 crores has been allocated for the scheme for providing uniforms free of cost to the poor students studying in government and aided schools and Rs.70 crores has been allocated for the scheme for providing free text books. In this Budget, a sum of Rs.300 crores has been provided as grants to state transport undertakings for implementing the scheme for providing free and concessional bus passes to students and a sum of Rs.112 crores has been provided for the scheme for providing free bi-cycles to the students studying in 11th standard. Overall, the total allocation for the school education department which was Rs.4,110 crores in 2005-2006 has been increased to Rs.9,147 crores in the year 2009-2010.
8. 39.             With the objective of enabling the general public and poor students to have access to read all books, this Government had announced that a modern state library of international standard would be established in Chennai. Works for establishing this library at an estimated cost of Rs.166 crores for which foundation stone was laid by the Hon’ble Chief Minister on 16.8.2008 are progressing fast.  These works will be completed by May 2010.

Higher Education

1. 40.             Considering the need for space requirements of the students 1,142 class rooms are being built at a cost of Rs.65 crores in government arts and science colleges. For these works, a sum of Rs.27 crores has been allocated in this Budget. In educationally backward districts lacking adequate facilities for higher education, new government arts and science colleges will be established, with the financial assistance of Union Government in the coming years.
2. 41.             With a view to enabling students from poor families pursue higher education without any impediment, this Government after assuming charge, has abolished tuition fees to all undergraduate students of government and aided arts and science colleges and has also converted all the self-financing courses in the governments colleges to general courses. In addition, by abolishing the common entrance examination, which was an unnecessary burden to the students, this Government has enabled larger number of students from rural and poor families to get professional education.
3. 42.             Besides establishing three new Anna Universities at Trichy, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli, six new engineering colleges have been started in backward places of the State like Tindivanam, Villupuram, Panruti, Thirukkuvalai, Ramanathapuram and Ariyalur. In the coming financial year, new engineering colleges will be started through Anna Universities in the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Thanjavur, Dindigul, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts which do not have government engineering colleges. In addition, the infrastructure facilities in the existing government engineering colleges and polytechnics will be improved under the second phase of the Technical Education Quality Improvement Project with the financial assistance of the World Bank.  The provision for Higher education, which was Rs.745 crores in 2005-2006, has been enhanced to Rs.1,463 crores in the coming financial year.

Health and Family Welfare