Mounted police patrol in Chennai
The Tamil Nadu Police Force is the law enforcing agency / department of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is over 150 years old and is the fifth largest state police force in India. Tamil Nadu has a Police population ratio of 1 : 632.
Administration
The administrative control of Tamil Nadu Police vests with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who holds the portfolio of Home Minister. The supervision and coordination of Police is done by the Home Department, Govt. of Tamil Nadu. The Force is headed by a Director General of Police. The current Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) is Dr.K.Radhakrishnan, IPS. Each Zone is headed by one Inspector General of Police.
Achievements
Decrease in crimes registered in Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu police has various distinctions and honors to its credit. It has the largest strength of women police personnel in the country, the highest number of women police stations in the country, the first women police battalion of special police, the first women Commando Force in the Country, the first established Finger Print Lab in the World, the first Integrated Modern Police Control Room in the country and has the greatest number of computers against other police departments in the Country.The table shown below details on the major crime trends in the state. It can be noted that the overall number of crimes registered has come down steadily over the years.
Crime head | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
Murder | 1,647 | 1,487 | 1,389 | 1,365 | 1,273 | 1,521 |
Murder for gain | 75 | 104 | 73 | 74 | 89 | 102 |
Dacoity | 178 | 95 | 72 | 73 | 95 | 88 |
Robbery | 650 | 514 | 464 | 437 | 450 | 495 |
Burglary | 5,532 | 4,849 | 4,147 | 3,738 | 3,300 | 3,717 |
Theft | 18,614 | 18,213 | 17,530 | 15,851 | 13,651 | 13,217 |
Total | 26,696 | 25,262 | 23,675 | 21,538 | 18,858 | 19,410 |
Exports from Information Technology industries in Tamil Nadu have shown upward trend even in the face of worldwide economic recession. The value of software exports from Tamil Nadu has increased from Rs.28,426 crores in the year 2007-2008 to Rs.36,680 crores in the year 2008-2009. Recommencement of large scale recruitment of engineers and graduates by IT industries will help the youth from Tamil Nadu to continue to get jobs in this industry. In conformity with the policy of this Government that the employment opportunities generated by IT sector should be dispersed to all parts of the state, IT parks are being established in Municipal corporations like Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy. ‘TIDEL’ IT Park at Coimbatore being established at an estimated cost of Rs.380 crores will be completed by May this year.
Tamil Nadu State Wide Area Network (TNSWAN) which connects headquarters of various departments of Government of Tamil Nadu with offices at district, divisional and block levels through internet will be expanded at a cost of Rs.22 crores.
The scheme for providing free colour televisions to families having no colour television is being implemented in an exemplary manner. Under the five phases of this scheme, 1,52,80,000 colour television sets have been ordered to be procured and 1.08 crore colour television sets have been distributed to families of beneficiaries so far. Remaining 44.8 lakh colour television sets will be distributed by the month of December this year. A sum of Rs.500 crores has been allocated for this scheme in this Budget.
This Government is giving high priority to the maintenance and development of roads. Road works for a length of 55,100 Km have been undertaken in the last four years. Having regard to increasing traffic, highways for a length of 10,488 Km have been widened. Like never before, 92 railway over bridges (ROBs) have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs.1,967 crores and works taken up. Works for development of 725 Km roads from Arcot to Thiruvarur and from Nagapattinam to Thoothukudi taken up at a cost of Rs.1,333 crores with World Bank assistance under Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project are in an advanced stage of completion.
Works will commence soon for the Outer Ring Road taken up at a cost of Rs.1,081 crores with a view to augmenting road facilities in the periphery of Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). This work will be completed by the month of September, 2012. This six lane road will pave the way for the development of periurban areas of Chennai Metropolitan Area and also serve as an alternative road for goods transport.
Works for development of Singaperumalkoil - Oragadam - Sriperumbudur road are being taken up at a cost of Rs.300 crores. A sum of Rs.165 crores has been allocated for this project in this Budget. After provision of six laning of Rajiv Gandhi Salai, works for construction of grade separators at its major junctions will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.171 crores.
With a view to reducing the traffic congestion as well as considering the future growth prospects of the city of Coimbatore which is developing at a very rapid pace next only to Chennai, this Government has decided to build Western Outer Ring Road for Coimbatore as in the case of Chennai. This mega project for building a new 26 Km four lane road at a cost of Rs.284 crores will be implemented through public sector. Along with reducing the traffic congestion in the western parts of the city, this new road which links all important roads of Coimbatore City will also provide a good opportunity for the future development of the sub-urban areas like Kuniyamuthur, Perur, Vadavalli, Marudhamalai and Thudiyalur.
With a view to fulfilling the long standing demand of the people of Coimbatore and the Nilgiris districts, Union Government has accorded sanction for upgrading a portion of Coimbatore- Mettupalayam- Udhagamandalam road as a four lane road based on the request of the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister made in person to the Hon’ble Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. This widening work will be immediately taken up through the State Highways department at a cost of Rs.50 crores. We convey our gratitude to the Union Government for this on behalf of the Governmentof Tamil Nadu.
With the objective of averting road accidents, accident prone spots are identified and necessary rectification works are being carried out. Road Accident Data Management System that registers and analyses data in the computer regarding road accidents has been implemented. Moreover, officials from related departments such as police, highways and transport departments inspect every accident spot and take appropriate measures to avert accidents. The World Bank Mission reviewing the Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project has commended the fact that, eventhough, the overall number of vehicles has increased by 78 percent during the period from 2002 to 2008 as per the available statistics, the number of fatal accidents has gone down from 19 per 10,000 registered vehicles to 12 per 10,000 registered vehicles. A sum of Rs.40 crores has been allocated for road safety fund in this Budget.
After this Government assumed charge, 12,137 new buses have been procured for the State Transport Undertakings during the last four years. In addition, 3,000 more new buses would be purchased in the coming financial year. A sum of Rs.250 crores has been allocated in this Budget for this purpose.
Even now, poor people in rural areas of Tamil Nadu are living in thatched roof huts without having any protection from natural calamities. With a view to completely changing this pathetic situation, the revolutionary scheme of ‘Kalaignar Veetu Vasadhi Thittam’, envisaged to create hut free villages in Tamil Nadu by converting all thatched roof huts in rural areas to permanent concrete houses was launched by Hon’ble Chief Minister Kalaignar in Trichy on 3.3.2010. Under this scheme, in the first phase, 21 lakh thatched roof huts in rural areas will be converted to permanent concrete houses within a period of six years, with Tamil Nadu poised to become the first hut free state in India. Three lakh houses will be built at a cost of Rs.1,800 crores during the coming financial year, the first year of the scheme.
The work of constructing permanent houses under this scheme for all families living in thatched roof huts irrespective of their caste will commence in all village panchayats from the coming financial year itself. A sum of Rs.1,800 crores has been provided for this scheme in this Budget.
As in the case of ‘Kalaignar Veetu Vasadhi Thittam’, the unit cost for the houses to be constructed under the scheme of the Union Government - Indira Awaas Yojana will also be increased to Rs.60,000 from the coming financial year by the State Government. A sum of Rs.262.50 crores has been allocated as State Government's share for building one lakh houses under this scheme also in the coming financial year.
In the urban areas also, permanent houses are being constructed in lieu of huts under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. In the coming financial year, 60,000 houses will be completed under this scheme.
Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized state in the country measured in terms of the percentage of urban population to the total population. Recognising the need for providing infrastructural facilities commensurate with the increasing population in urban areas, the Government of Tamil Nadu has been implementing various schemes. Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, schemes for providing drinking water, sewerage facilities, storm water drains, solid waste management, housing etc., are being taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.9,271 crores. Urban infrastructural facilities are being created with financial assistance of Rs.2,728 crores from institutions like World Bank, Japan International Co-operation Agency, German funding agency KfW.
With a view to fulfilling drinking water needs of people of Chennai city, this Government is implementing two major desalination projects for converting sea water to drinking water. A desalination plant at Minjur with a capacity of 100 Million litres per day is in its final stage of completion. Works for another desalination project at Nemmeli at a cost of Rs.669 crores have commenced recently. A sewage treatment plant with 120 million litres per day capacity will be constructed at Koyambedu at a cost of Rs.130 crores in the coming financial year. Works for storm water drains and flood protection in Chennai Corporation sanctioned at a cost of Rs.1,447 crores will commence this month and would be completed in three years.
A comprehensive study conducted by The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority regarding existing and future transport scenario in Chennai Metropolitan area has recommended provision of various transportation facilities with an investment of Rs.88,200 crores. In accordance with these recommendations, Government will consider augmenting the transport facilities in Chennai Metropolitan area in the coming years.
With the view of reducing the traffic congestion at intersections on Anna Salai, grade separators will be constructed at a cost Rs.500 crores utilising the resources of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.
The works of Chennai Metro Rail Project capable of fulfilling the transportation needs of Chennai City are underway. Works for the construction of the elevated viaduct from Koyambedu to Ashok Nagar are under progress. Contracts for the construction of the elevated viaduct from Ashok Nagar to St.Thomas Mount and Saidapet to Officers Training Academy have been awarded recently. As announced in the Governor's Address for the year 2009, investigation for including Thiruvottriyur in this project is under progress. A provision of Rs.600 crores has been made in this Budget as share of Tamil Nadu Government towards the Metro Rail Project.
Works have commenced for the Hogenakkal Combined Water Supply Scheme sanctioned at a revised estimate of Rs.1,929 crores with financial assistance from the Japan International Co-operation Agency. This project will be completed in December 2012. A sum of Rs.400 crores has been allocated for this scheme in this Budget. Further, a scheme for providing drinking water to the urban areas of Vellore district will be taken up in the coming financial year at an estimated cost of Rs.1,800 crores.
7,000 rural habitations will be provided with protected drinking water supply in the coming financial year. Further, combined water supply schemes benefiting 5 municipalities and 45 town panchayats will be completed and put into beneficial use. A sum of Rs.1,183 crores has been provided for drinking water supply schemes in this Budget.
Under Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam envisaged and implemented for providing basic amenities to all the village panchayats in Tamil Nadu within a period of 5 years, basic amenities have been provided in 10,104 village panchayats at a cost of Rs.2,041 crores over the last four years. After taking up this scheme in remaining 2,514 village panchayats in the coming financial year, Tamil Nadu will achieve the distinction of being the first state in the country that has provided a library and a sports centre to all its village panchayats by the end of year 2010-2011. A sum of Rs.508 crores has been allocated for this scheme in the coming financial year.
Works for 22,758 Km rural roads have been completed at a cost of Rs.3,089 crores utilizing financial assistance from NABARD and grants under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and 12th Finance Commission during the last four years.
Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, daily wages have been disbursed for works taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.3,002 crores over the last four years. Villupuram and Nagapattinam districts have been selected for receiving awards for exemplary implementation of this scheme for the year 2008-2009 from Union Government. Further, Tamil Nadu continues to be one of the leading states in implementation of this scheme. This scheme will be implemented at an outlay of Rs.2,500 crores in the coming financial year. A sum of Rs.250 crores has been provided in this Budget as State Government's share in this scheme.
Under the scheme for establishing Periyar Memorial Samathuvapurams, 29 Samathuvapurams have been constructed in the last two years and works for another 30 Samathuvapurams are under progress. Remaining 36 Samathuvapurams will be established in the coming financial year. A sum of Rs.75 crores has been provided for this purpose.
‘Vazhnthu Kaattuvom’ Project with the financial assistance from World Bank is being implemented successfully. Under this project, income generating schemes for removing poverty of the poorest of the poor families are being implemented in 2,515 village panchayats of 15 districts at a cost of Rs.717 crores. A sum Rs.184 crores has been provided for this scheme.
There are over 20,000 community centres in rural areas of Tamil Nadu at present. Nevertheless, there has been a demand for constructing community halls for poor people in rural areas for the purpose of family functions and public functions. With a view to fulfilling this need, all village Panchayats that do not have either a community hall or a marriage hall will be provided with a community hall, based on need, utilizing 13th Finance Commission grants for local bodies. On similar lines, in urban areas also, this facility will be provided in municipal corporations, municipalities and town panchayats after identifying suitable sites.
The devolution of funds to local bodies from state’s own tax revenue would be increased from the present 9.5 percent to 10 percent in the coming financial year. A sum of Rs.7,701 crores will be provided to local bodies in the form of devolution, assigned revenue and assistance for schemes in the coming financial year. Apart from this, I would like to mention that including expenditure incurred by the Government for providing basic services relating to primary education, water supply and public health on behalf of the local bodies, the total amount incurred by the State Government as direct financial assistance to local bodies and towards expenditure incurred by the State Government for the functions to be discharged by these bodies account for about 33% of the State’s own tax revenue.
This Government, after implementing reservation of seats to women in local bodies in Tamil Nadu, has been demanding for a long time for due representation to women in the Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies. We commend the Union Government for its determined act of getting the constitutional amendment passed in the Rajya Sabha in fulfillment of our long standing request. Recently, the United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has thanked our Hon’ble Chief Minister by saying that, "it would not have been possible to get this bill passed without the support and advice of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Kalaignar." We firmly believe that this constitutional amendment bill will very soon be passed in Lok Sabha also.
Under the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Memorial Marriage assistance scheme for providing marriage assistance to women belonging to poor families, 2.92 lakh women have received financial assistance to the tune of Rs.520 crores over the last four years.
The assistance amount under this scheme was increased from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.15,000/- in 2006-2007 and to Rs.20,000 in 2008-2009 by this Government. I am glad to announce that, assistance amount under this scheme which brings light to the lives of poor women, will be further increased to Rs.25,000 from the coming financial year. A sum of Rs.300 crores has been provided for this scheme in the coming financial year. Under the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Memorial Maternity Assistance scheme providing financial assistance to pregnant women, 19 lakh women have received financial assistance to the tune of nearly Rs.1,000 crores at the rate of Rs.6,000 each over the last four years. A sum of Rs.360 crores has been provided for this scheme in the coming financial year. Further, with a view to enabling pregnant women getting iodine which is very essential for the development of the foetal brain, iodised salt will be provided to them free of cost in all fair price shops through Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation.
Under the scheme for distribution of free gas stove and connection to those families who do not have the same, 17 lakh families have benefited at a cost Rs.381 crores so far. A sum of Rs.140 crores has been allocated to benefit additional six lakh families in the coming financial year under this scheme.
1,11,728 new women self help groups comprising of 17.12 lakh women have been started over the last four years. A sum of Rs.229 crores has been disbursed to 2.29 lakh of self help groups as revolving fund. Moreover, as a result of the tremendous efforts taken by this Government, self help groups in Tamil Nadu were able to receive Rs.5,990 crores as bank loan. In addition, 50,000 new self help groups will be formed in the coming financial year. In view of the fact that only a small number of women self help groups have been formed particularly in urban slum areas, priority will be given for formation of self Help groups consisting of women from the urban slum areas in the coming financial year.Similarly, in rural areas, self help groups will be formed from amongst the poor women participating in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. A sum of Rs.124 crores has been allocated for Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women for providing various supportive measures to the women self help groups.
After this Government assumed office, 6,822 new children centres and 4940 children mini-centres have been started over the past four years. With this addition, 18 lakh children and 5 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers benefit through 54,439 children Centres in Tamil Nadu. 9,045 Nutritious Meal Centres will be provided with kitchen sheds for at an estimated cost of Rs. 200 crores in the coming financial year.
A sum of Rs.178 crores has been allocated for providing three eggs per week to 69 lakh children and students having nutritious food. A sum of Rs.891 crores for the Integrated Child Development Scheme and a sum of Rs.924 crores have been provided for the M.G.R. Nutritious Meal Programme.
List of physically disabled persons includes all those human beings who suffer from hearing impairment, loss of vision, speech disorder and loss of limbs. Instead of ignoring these persons as being incapable of using a particular organ or without putting them in some special list; without calling them by the existing categorisation like blind, deaf, lame, dumb, crippled, mentally ill which sound derogatory; and instead of using the general term ‘physically handicapped’, based on the scientific fact that if the functioning of one organ of the body diminishes, then the capacity of some other organ of the body naturally improves to an extent, referring them as ‘differently abled’ was discussed a few years back in 2007 in the United Nations and a convention was adopted and ratified.
India is seventh amongst the countries which have adopted and signed this convention.
This Government will take all necessary steps for enabling the differently abled persons to lead their lives getting their due share in all livelihood rights such as education, health facilities, employment and with equal rights and opportunities in the society, in accordance with this convention. Further, we urge the Union Government to expeditiously amend the Persons with Disabilities (Equal opportunities, protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 in consonance with this Convention.
The upper income limit prescribed for ‘differently abled persons’ availing assistance under various welfare schemes of Government will be completely removed. After having exempted the differently abled persons from the payment of the tuition fee enabling them to pursue higher education, this Government will also exempt them from paying special fees from the coming academic year. Monthly assistance of Rs.200 towards food charges to the students staying in the homes for the ‘differently abled persons’ run by the Government and voluntary organizations will be enhanced to Rs.450 henceforth.
Presently only Chennai in our state has an exclusive government hospital for mental health with inpatient facilities. Having regard to the fact that mentally ill patients from southern districts also have to come to this hospital for treatment,an Institute of Mental Health will be established at Theni for southern districts at an estimated cost of Rs.10 crores. This Government will provide financial support to voluntary organisations running rehabilitation homes for the mentally ill providing them accommodation and medical counselling. Under this scheme, financial assistance will be provided to 10 rehabilitation homes for mentally ill at the rate of one home for every three districts in our state. Government will provide Rs.one crore every year for this purpose.
For the first time in India, a separate welfare board was formed for extending social security and giving assistance under welfare schemes to the differently abled persons in Tamil Nadu. This Government has introduced a scheme for providing maintenance allowance of Rs.500 per month without income ceiling to mentally retarded persons who are not even able to take care of themselves. About 50,000 persons are benefited every year. Various scholarships to visually impaired persons and other differently abled persons have been doubled. Special employment opportunities have been created for them to work as teachers. Special schools have been established in every district for identifying hearing impairment in early stages of the childhood and giving specialised education to the affected ones. Besides providing travel concessions, the persons suffering from the disabilities of limbs have been provided with various forms of assistance such as motorised tricycles for the first time in India. As a result of extending the scheme for providing monthly assistance to the unemployed visually impaired persons to all the differently abled persons, 60,000 persons have been benefited under this scheme. With a view to providing assistance to the persons affected with Muscular Dystrophy, for the first time in India, monthly assistance of Rs.500 is being provided to around 1,000 persons from the year 2008-2009.
A scheme for providing treatment to the persons affected with elephantiasis is under implementation through Health and Family Welfare Department.Nevertheless, the severely affected patients coming under Grade IV category of this disease, who are not able to use their limbs, will be provided with monthly assistance of Rs.400 starting from the coming financial year.
With a view to bringing light to the lives of differently abled persons, this Government is implementing various welfare schemes by allocating funds unmatched before. Besides increasing the expenditure on the welfare of differently abled persons form Rs.49 crores in the year 2005-2006 to Rs.176 crores in the coming financial year, I am glad to announce that a separate department for differently abled persons will function under the direct supervision of the Hon’ble Chief Minister.
Under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, over 9 lakh old persons are receiving a monthly assistance of Rs.400. Union Government and State Government are contributing equal amount for this scheme. With this, 1 lakh differently abled destitute persons, 6 lakh widow destitutes, 1.69 lakh agricultural labourers and 1 lakh destitute women receiving monthly pension, a total number of 19 lakh old age and destitute persons are receiving monthly pension in Tamil Nadu. In this Budget, a sum of Rs.1,002 crores has been allocated for giving monthly pension to the old and destitutes.
This Government is implementing various welfare schemes for the fishermen such as waiving the loans taken by them, providing financial assistance during the period of ban on fishing, establishing Fishermen Welfare Board, providing nets, bicycles, torches, life saving jackets, first aid boxes to Tsunami affected fishermen and providing infrastructural facilities like development of Fishing Harbours and Fish Landing Centres. A sum of Rs.193 crores has been allocated to the Fisheries Department in this Budget.
This Government has been instrumental in allowing additional 4,000 students to stay and study in the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities hostels, providing colour television sets in these hostels, increasing the income ceiling for availing scholarship to Rs.one lakh and providing entirely free education to the students from Backward Classes studying in government and aided colleges. Own buildings will be constructed for 25 hostels presently functioning in private buildings at a cost of Rs.12.5 crores.
A sum of Rs.10 crores has been allocated to impart employment oriented training to 10,000 youth belonging to Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities in the coming financial year. Business loans to the tune of Rs.35 crores will be provided to the entrepreneurs belonging to Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities through the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Economic Development Corporation. A sum of Rs.459 crores has been provided in this Budget for the welfare of the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities.
This Government established a separate Directorate for the welfare of the minorities in 2007. In addition to this, 3.5 percent special reservation has been implemented by this Government for Backwards Class Muslims. 1.5 lakh students belonging to minority communities are pursuing education in schools, colleges and technical education institutions availing financial assistance of Rs.40 crores under the scheme of scholarship of the Union Government. With a view to enabling Muslim girls to pursue their education without any break, 5 new girls’ hostels have been established in 2008-2009. Training programs are being implemented for enabling youth belonging to minority communities to equip them to avail employment opportunities. A sum of Rs.2.5 crores has been allocated for imparting skill development training to 8,000 youth belonging to minority communities in the coming financial year also. Loans are being sanctioned by the Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation for self employment of minorities. Business loans to the tune of Rs.25 crores will be sanctioned to 12,500 entrepreneurs belonging to Minority Communities in the coming financial year.
Adi Dravidar Christians have been demanding for a long time that they should be included in the list of Scheduled Castes and should be given all concessions including reservation granted to Scheduled Castes. Having regard to the fairness in that demand, the Government of Tamil Nadu urges the Union Government to bring necessary constitutional amendment in fulfillment of the demand.
This Government is implementing various schemes for the educational and economic development of the Adi Dravidars and Tribals. 51 new hostels have been established over the last four years. Own buildings have been sanctioned for 99 hostels. Moreover, all these hostels have been provided with colour television sets and computers. Own buildings will be constructed for additional 25 hostels at a cost of Rs.12.5 crores in the coming financial year. From the year 2008-2009, this Government is implementing the scheme of selecting outstanding students from Adi Dravidar and Tribal communities with a view to enabling them to pursue studies in the best schools from sixth and eleventh standards onwards. A sum of Rs.198 crores has been allocated in this Budget for providing scholarships to the students belonging to Adi Dravidar and Tribal communities.
As a result of provision of special reservation to Arundhatiars within the overall reservation by this Government with a view to ushering a new beginning in the lives of Arundhatiars living in the lowest strata of the society, more number of Arundhatiar students are able to pursue higher education and secure government jobs. Hon’ble Members of this Assembly are aware that this Government has endeavored to lit light in their lives abolishing the abhorrent practice of manual scavenging with determination; by providing financial assistance and training to the people previously engaged in this work enabling them to take up alternative employment; by constituting a welfare board for sanitary workers and by using desilting machines to clean sewer lines.
The scheme for imparting vocational training to youth belonging to Adi Dravidar and Tribal communities will continue to be implemented in the coming financial year also. 20,000 youth will be benefited by utilising the allocation of Rs.25 crores as the special state assistance along with the special central assistance. With a view to enabling Adi Dravidar students pursuing degree in engineering secure employment in Information Technology sector, 1,200 of them will be given training in computer software, spoken English etc., through Finishing Schools. Overall, a sum of Rs.894 crores has been allocated to Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department. I am glad to inform that, the allocation for Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan has been increased from Rs.567 crores in 2005-2006 to Rs.3,828 crores in this Budget and this allocation is 19 percent of the total plan outlay.
With a view to providing employment opportunities to handloom weavers, a sum of Rs.256 crores has been allocated in this Budget for implementing the scheme for distribution of dhotis and sarees to the poor people on the occasion of the Pongal, the festival of Tamils, in the coming year also. In order to promote the sales of handloom cloth, a sum of Rs.118 crores has been allocated in this Budget for the scheme of providing rebate subsidy. It is this Government which is providing power supply free as well as at subsidized rates to handloom and power loom weavers. A sum of Rs.78 crores has been allocated for this scheme.
Hosiery industry in the town of Tiruppur is providing jobs to lakhs of workers and has acquired a special place in Indian exports by way of exporting goods worth over Rs.10,000 crores every year. Besides expressing our gratitude to the Union Government for accepting the request of this Government and announcing a financial assistance of Rs.200 crores in this year’s Union Budget for the effluent treatment plants being established by the dyeing units which are very essential for this industry, I would like to inform that this Government will also provide a financial assistance of Rs.120 crores as its share as already promised.
A sum of Rs.320 crores has been provided in this Budget for this purpose. Besides this, necessary steps are being taken for implementation of the project for marine discharge of treated liquid effluents containing salt by availing the financial assistance of Rs.200 crores provided by the Thirteenth Finance Commission for this purpose.
Palm Workers Welfare Board was constituted by this Government and 31,000 palm workers have registered so far with the Board and have received welfare assistance of over Rs.80 lakhs. They have also been given free tools. I am glad to inform that, accepting the demand of the palm workers for enhancing the price of Rs.7 per litre given by the Palm Board for procuring Neera from them, henceforth, the procurement price for Neera will be increased to Rs.10 per litre.
In addition to this, the Tamil Nadu Palm Board will be given Rs.one crore as grant from the Government of Tamil Nadu to install chilling facilities to store Neera procured by it, acquiring necessary transport facilities and supplementing working capital required for procuring jaggery and Neera.
24,000 workers are engaged in khadi spinning and weaving industry. A Khadi Spinners and Weavers Welfare Board will be established for their welfare.
This Government is providing various forms of welfare assistance to the unorganised labourers and their families by establishing various welfare boards for them. 25.9 lakh persons have been registered in these welfare boards since this Government assumed office. 8.33 lakh persons have received welfare assistance valued Rs.208 crores. Over the last four years, Government has granted assistance of Rs.128 crores to these welfare boards. A sum of Rs.50 crores has been allocated in this Budget for this purpose.
This Government is providing various welfare benefits to potters by forming a welfare board for them. With a view to helping them, 500 electrically operated potter’s wheels will be provided free of cost.
3.53 lakh unemployed persons have been provided with financial assistance of Rs.52 crores during the financial year 2009–2010. A sum of Rs.60 crores has been allocated for this scheme in the coming financial year.
This Government has lit light in the lives of youth who were waiting to secure government jobs for a period of five years by taking a number of effective measures to fill up the vacancies in government departments, local bodies, boards and public sector enterprises by appointing 4,65,748 persons in the time scale of pay in the last four years.
In order to produce students with technical skills as expected by the industry, 22 government industrial training institutes are being upgraded as centres of excellence at a cost of Rs.63 crores. In addition to this, another 24 government industrial training institutes are being developed under Public – Private Partnership. In the coming financial year, vocational training will be imparted to 1,27,000 persons comprising of 50,000 youth through government industrial training institutes, 42,000 youth and women through Rural Development Department and 35,000 youth through Polytechnic colleges.
Vanakkam
K. Anbazhagan
Minister for Finance
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