Kerala finance minister allocates funds for market intervention and local health centres
Thiruvananthapuram: Finance minister K N Balagopal announced that Rs 100 crore was allocated to the state civil supplies corporation for market intervention activities. The funding is intended to support various initiatives aimed at preventing the rise in prices of essential commodities.
In this year's budget, Rs 250 crore was set aside for Supplyco's market interventions. With the current allocation, it will be possible to ensure the advance procurement of essential goods, including for the Onam season, the minister said.
In last year's budget, Rs 250 crore was allocated for Supplyco's market interventions, but Rs 489 crore was granted, providing an additional Rs 284 crore. From 2011-12 to 2024-25, govt provided Rs 7,630 crore to support Supplyco's direct market interventions over a span of 15 years.
Of this, only Rs 410 crore was given during the five years of the previous UDF govt, while the remaining Rs 7,220 crore was allocated by the LDF govt, Balagopal said.
The finance minister said an additional Rs 335 crore was also allocated to local self-govt institutions in the state. This grant, recommended by the finance commission, is intended to strengthen the operations of community health centres, family health centres and urban health and wellness centres.
A total of Rs 199 crore is designated for community and family health centres under the jurisdiction of panchayats, while Rs 136 crore is allocated for urban health and wellness centres. So far, govt allocated Rs 4,386 crore for local institutions this fiscal year. Previously, Rs 2,150 crore was provided as the first instalment of the development fund, Rs 78 crore as an unconditional fund, Rs 1,396 crore as the first instalment of the maintenance fund and Rs 427 crore in two instalments of the general-purpose fund.
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