TN Budget 2017: Education gets Rs 30,612 cr, 3.5 lakh plots for the poor

Amdist uproar in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Finance Minister D Jayakumar tabled the budget for 2017-18 on Thursday. 

Opposition leader MK Stalin demanded expunging of VK Sasikala's reference by the finance minister.

The estimated net outstanding debt of the state government is estimated at Rs 3,14,366 crore by March 31. 

Highlights of the budget:
 

* Electricity Departments gets Rs 16998 crore
 

*Rs 75 crore earmarked for Global Investors Meet (GIM) to be held in 2017-18
 

* Rs 272 crore allotted for eradication of poverty in cities in Tamil Nadu
 

* Will work towards getting co-operative banks to offer Rs 7000 and grain loan to farmers: FM Jayakumar
 

* TN government to replace State Planning Commission with the State Development Policy Council
 

* TN budget fiscal deficit expected to come down for 2017-18 to less than 3 per cent of GSDP
 

* Rs 30,612 crore allocated for education sector

* Rs 26,932 crore allotted for school education department, higher education depeartment gets Rs 3,680 crore
 

* Rs 100 crore allocated for Farmer Producer Organisations
 

* Rs 1483 crore allocated for Police Department and Prison Department gets Rs 282 crore
 

* Rs 272 crore allotted for eradication of poverty in Tamil Nadu cities
 

* 3.5 lakh plot of land will be given to the economically weaker sections
 

* Rs 522 crore alloted for crop insurance subsidy scheme
 

* Relief fund for fishermen increased from Rs 2700 to Rs 4500