Union Budget 2024: Kerala expects funds to build AIIMS and support development
Kerala is eagerly awaiting a positive response from the central government in the upcoming budget, seeking significant financial assistance to support various development projects and welfare schemes. The state is also hopeful for the long-awaited announcement of an AIIMS facility.
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FollowThiruvananthapuram: Kerala is hopeful for a significant financial allocation in the upcoming Union Budget to drive its ambitious development projects forward. A substantial package of 5,000 crores has been submitted to the Union Finance Ministry for consideration, aimed at transforming Vizhinjam Port. Furthermore, Kerala is optimistic about securing funds for an AIIMS facility, leveraging the influence of its two Union Ministers.
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Vizhinjam is set to grow as the first transshipment port for the state and the country. Major projects are gearing up for ancillary development as phase one commissioning nears. One of the main demands of Kerala is to get Rs 5000 crores as special capital investment for state intervention for infrastructure development, apart from development activities directly carried out by the Centre. Along with central approval for the Silver Line, existing facilities should be improved to run more trains.
Kerala is seeking a substantial allocation of Rs 5,000 crore from the central government to fund the Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel project. The state finance department has estimated that the central government's policies, including reducing borrowing limits and withholding benefits, result in an annual loss of Rs 5,710 crore for Kerala. Additionally, the state has urged the central government to reconsider its decision to cut loan limits for at least a year.
Kerala is seeking additional financial concessions from the central government, including permission to borrow over Rs 6,000 crore, tied to the state's expenditure on land acquisition for national highway development. The state is also eagerly awaiting decisions on various pending demands, such as a hike in the rubber support price to Rs 250, a increase in central funding for centrally sponsored projects to 75%, and enhanced central contributions to welfare schemes. Furthermore, Kerala is hopeful for the long-awaited announcement of an AIIMS facility in the state, a development that could be facilitated by the presence of two Union Ministers from Kerala in the current government.
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