The State government has sanctioned 3,000 crore as share capital assistance to Chennai Metro Rail Limited to meet the immediate commitments relating to Phase-II of the project during 2021-22, the State Assembly was informed on Friday.

Presenting the first supplementary estimates for a sum of ₹3,719.65 crore, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said the daily exercise of prudence and accountability under Chief Minister M K Stalin had led to the estimates remaining as low as one per cent of the total expenditure in the revised budgetary estimates.

The presentation was to obtain the approval of the Legislature for expenditure on 'New Service' and 'New Instrument of Service' items that were sanctioned after the presentation of the revised budget to enable recoupment for advances made from the Contingency Fund.

An amount of ₹1,020.25 crore had been included in the estimates as the government had sanctioned Rs 887.66 crore for distribution of gift hamper and sugarcane to rice ration card holders and Sri Lankan Tamil families in rehabilitation camps for Pongal and ₹132.59 crore for distribution of grocery kits as relief measures during the pandemic, Thiaga Rajan said.

For a sanction of ₹805.93 crore for utilization of 15th Finance Commission Health Sector Grant, ₹300 crore was included in the estimates while the balance would be met by re-appropriation from savings within the grant, he said.

A sum of ₹300 crore was sanctioned from the State Disaster Response Fund towards relief and temporary restoration activities during the heavy rains from October 25 to November 14 in 2021 and the sum has been included in the estimates.

Similarly ₹1,000 crore was included under the demand for Housing and Urban Development Department.

For the sanction of Rs 418 crore to the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board for development work and additional infrastructure amenities in various locations in Chennai and in other districts, ₹138.15 has been included in the estimates, he said.

Other demands in the estimates include ₹182.14 crore for settlement of fair and remunerative price arrears due to cane growers by 10 cooperative and 2 public sector sugar mills and ₹74.28 crore for payment of fees to students in engineering colleges,

admitted under the 7.5 per cent preferential allotment.

Another demand for ₹97.75 crore relates to the payment of bonus and ex-gratia to workers and employees of State Transport corporations.

 

Media: DECCAN CHRONICLE