22.3.13

TN budget snippets



Better roads, more flyovers and no new taxes — these are the happy highlights of TN budget 2013, which set apart a lion’s share for school education on Thursday.
In the backdrop of a failed monsoon and severe drought, coupled with an economic slowdown and waning investor confidence, finance minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday presented a budget that seeks not to burden the people. School education got the maximum allocation of Rs.16,965 crore.
Chennai is set to get four more flyovers, based on the recommendation of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority’s traffic-transportation study. Panneerselvam, however, did not spell out their locations. He has earmarked Rs.500 crore for the Chennai mega city development programme and Rs.750 crore for the urban development mission.
The government also proposes to take up restoration of waterways and rivers in the city under the aegis of the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust, by raising funds from external sources.
Four-laning of the East Coast Road from Chennai to Mamallapuram will begin this year, he said. A world class oceanarium has been announced for Mamallapuram at a cost of Rs.250 crore under public-private partnership. While the tourism department will implement the project, the fisheries department will provide technical assistance.

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