Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu today presented the fifth budget of the current DMK government for 2025-26. Thenarasu presented the budget amidst the uproar of the opposition members. While presenting the budget, Thenarasu said that under the ‘Kalangar Kanavu Illam Thitm’ scheme, one lakh new houses will be built with a budget outlay of Rs 3,500 crore. The Finance Minister said that the budget of 2025-26 of the state has been prepared keeping in mind the development of the next 25 years.
Thenarasu said that the Adyar River revival program is moving rapidly at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore and is expected to be completed in the next 15 months. He also announced new joint drinking water projects at a cost of Rs 6,668 crore in seven districts. According to the minister, 29.74 lakh people will benefit from these projects. To assist the working women of the state, the government has decided to build a small hostel at 10 more places and Rs 77 crore has been allocated for this.
Also, he said that a city with world -class facilities will be settled near the state capital. The minister’s budget speech lasted for 2 hours 38 minutes. Regarding the scheme for a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for about 125 crore women, he said that Rs 13,807 crore has been allocated and announced that such eligible women who have not yet assisted Rs 1,000 will get an opportunity to apply soon. He announced 10 more hostels of working women for which Rs 77 crore has been allocated. There are currently 13 such hostels in the state. The Chief Minister’s refreshment scheme will be further expanded and Rs 600 crore has been allocated for this.
Apart from this, the minister said that under the overall education scheme, the state government has been successfully implementing various student welfare schemes for the last seven years. He said, “In order to ensure especially initiatives like ‘Annum Ejhuthum Fattum’, special education for disabled children, transport allowance for students of remote areas, salary for teachers, guidance for higher education for higher education for higher education, art festival, educational tips and internet facilities in schools,” Said, “However, the Central Government has stopped an amount of Rs 2,152 crore to Tamil Nadu, as the state has not accepted the new National Education Policy of the Central Government, including Tri-policy.”
The BJP and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) walked out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly during the presentation of the State Budget 2025-26, in which the DMK government opposed the steps to change the symbol of the rupee and the alleged corruption in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC). BJP state president K Annamalai criticized the budget and described it as “dust in the eyes”. He said that we have opted out of the budget. TASMAC is a major issue today.
