Thiruvananthapuram, Thursday 18 March 2010: Deviating from its traditional high-priority sectors of agriculture and social welfare, the district panchayat, in its budget proposals for the year 2010-11, has made the highest allocation in the education sector.

An amount of Rs.27.74 crore has been earmarked in the budget for Vision Document 2010, a new scheme for the infrastructural up-gradation of schools under the district panchayat.

Presenting the budget here, district panchayat vice-president and finance standing committee chairman B.P. Murali said the scheme included assessing and maintaining the assets of schools, replacement of temporary sheds with permanent classrooms, constructing compound walls and total electrification of schools.

The project also included the Jyothirgamaya and Sargaposhini programmes to improve academic and artistic talents of students.
Murali said the 2010-11 district panchayat budget expected a revenue of Rs.119.31 crore and expenditure of Rs.113.32 crore, with a surplus of Rs.5.99 crore.

Non-tax revenue of Rs.1.87 crore, grant-in-aid contribution of Rs.67.95 crore, Rs.33 crore as loans and advances, Rs.10.76 as civil investment, and a carryover of Rs.5.72 crore from last financial year are the main revenue sources of the budget.

The budget includes proposals to utilise Rs.13.53 crore from the Plan fund and general category, Rs.10.64 crore from special component plan and Rs.1.39 crore from tribal sub-plan.

In a novel project focussing on women’s health care the district panchayat has earmarked Rs.10 lakh for detection and treatment of breast cancer in a project titled ‘Cancer Vimuktha Sthree Samuham.’ A total allocation of Rs.47.75 lakh has been made for the health sector.