Thiruvananthapuram witnessed a significant fiscal presentation on Thursday as Finance Minister KN Balagopal tabled the LDF government’s sixth straight budget, opting for a complete plan despite impending elections. This strategic choice highlights priorities in social welfare, health insurance expansions, and educational reforms under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s leadership.
Central to the budget is accident insurance for Classes 1-12 students, allocated ₹15 crore yearly for immediate coverage. A landmark in tertiary education, free undergraduate programs for arts and science students promise to democratize higher learning across Kerala.
Health sector investments shine with ‘Medisip 2.0’, rolling out February 1 for government workers with improved coverage and benefits, now inclusive of pensioners, public enterprise employees, and cooperative staff. The innovative ‘Life Saver’ initiative provides gratis treatment for initial five days to road crash survivors in approved hospitals, supported by ₹15 crore.
Filling coverage voids, a novel health insurance for Karunya-excluded families receives ₹50 crore. ASHA workers gain from a ₹1,000 honorarium increase. Tackling religious minority issues from the Special Intensive Revision, new nativity cards and ₹10 crore for harmony promotion aim to strengthen social fabric.
Crafted with electoral optics yet grounded in long-term vision, this budget fortifies Kerala’s position as India’s welfare pioneer, blending compassion with competence.