On Friday, the Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed the presentation of the Budget for 2025-26 by the DMK government, led by Chief Minister M K Stalin. This comprehensive budget comes ahead of the state elections next year, featuring significant allocations for various welfare initiatives, including the fare-free bus travel scheme for women.
The proceedings in the Assembly were marked by disruption as the opposition party AIADMK staged a walkout after unsuccessfully attempting to address alleged corruption within the state-run liquor corporation, TASMAC, amid searches by the Enforcement Directorate related to the company.
In his budget presentation, Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu noted a notable increase in the utilization of fare-free bus services by women, rising from 40% to 65%. He reported that, on average, 50 lakh women rely on these bus services daily, amounting to 642 crore trips so far. A study conducted by the State Planning Commission revealed that women save approximately ₹888 each month due to this initiative. The government has earmarked a substantial ₹3,600 crore for this scheme in the Budget Estimates for 2025-26.
Additionally, the minister highlighted the “Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam,” which provides ₹1,000 monthly assistance to 1.15 crore women, with an impressive allocation of ₹13,807 crore. He also announced that eligible women who have yet to receive assistance will soon have the opportunity to apply. Plans are underway to establish 10 new ‘Thozhi’ working women’s hostels at a cost of ₹77 crore, complementing the existing 13 operational hostels.
Minister Thenarasu confirmed that efforts to construct a new airport at Parandur, near Chennai, are progressing swiftly. He emphasized that the state government has been implementing several student welfare initiatives under the ‘Samagra Shiksha’ scheme over the past seven years.
He highlighted various programs aimed at improving educational outcomes, including the ‘Ennum Ezhuthum Thittam’ to promote foundational literacy, special education for differently-abled children, transport allowances for students in remote areas, teacher salaries, guidance for higher education, arts festivals to nurture talent, educational tours, and the development of internet facilities in schools.
Despite facing challenges, including the withholding of an approved ₹2,152 crore by the central government due to Tamil Nadu’s rejection of the Union government’s New Education Policy and three-language policy, the state government has allocated its own funds to ensure that the education of government school students remains uninterrupted. Minister Thenarasu expressed gratitude for the unwavering support from the people of Tamil Nadu for the Chief Minister’s commitment to uphold the state’s dignity, even at the expense of foregoing significant funds.
Moreover, the budget includes allocations of ₹3,500 crore for the construction of 1 lakh new houses under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam housing scheme, ₹2,200 crore for the Chief Minister’s Rural Roads Development Scheme, and ₹88 crore for the establishment of ‘sponge parks’ in Chennai, aimed at enhancing groundwater recharge and mitigating flooding.
