Thiruvananthapuram: The welfare pension raised to Rs 1600 in the budget will reach beneficiaries before Vishu, said Finance Minister Thomas Isaac. Plus special festival kit would be distributed as Vishu-Kaineetam, the minister added. Households in the APL category will be provided 10 kilos of additional rice at Rs 15. Vishu rations will be made available before the festival. Increments announced for various workers’ schemes along with corresponding incentives will be effective from April. The minister was speaking at seminar organised at AKG Research Centre on “Budget(2021-22), Design For Future Kerala”.
Work towards generating 5 lakh jobs in the livelihood sector will take off in April itself after which, 2 lakh persons will be employed in the agricultural sector and 3 lakh in other sectors. Kerala has witnessed a record rise of 50,000 in gainful employment in 100 days.
Drive has begun to eradicate poverty in Kerala. Applications will be invited from eligible households soon for inclusion in state’s upliftment list. Surveys will be conducted to identify deserving households. Roughly 5 lakh families would come to be included in the list. Ensured to these homes would be : gainful employment, medical treatment, house of their own and free food provision where found necessary. Money shall not stand hindrance for this. The state government did everything in its powers to lend relief to people during ravages of Covid. The efforts will continue.
Education and suitable employment will be ensured to children from ordinary homes. Unemployment among women is four times higher than men. The Budget has put forward focused scheme to resolve this problem. It is a task programme designed for Kerala of the future. Efforts are on to have the government job portal take-off on 1st of April. Registration will begin for application from job aspirants from the day.
Alongside welfare of ordinary and poor homes, the Budget also seeks to initiate innovative steps for the state. The aim is to resolve problems encountered in Kerala’s development despite existential limitations, the minister said.
