Tamil Nadu CM hikes agri, housing subsidies

In what could be termed an Independence Day gift to the economically backward sections of society, chief ministerM Karunanidhi on Sunday announced a few sops – providing free energy-efficient motors to small and marginal farmers, 50% subsidy for big farmers to buy new motors and increasing the allocation from Rs 60,000 to Rs 75,000 per unit for the 'Kalaignar housing scheme' aimed at converting thatched roof houses into concrete ones.

Karunanidhi also announced a Rs 50 crore scheme to train one lakh youth in soft skills to better they employability. The scheme is being launched pursuant to the United Nations declaring this year as the International Year of the Youth, he said. All the three schemes, put together, would cost the state exchequer an additional Rs 3,200 crore outgo this year, but the government is hopeful of cutting down the power bill in the agricultural sector by 20% once old motors are replaced by the energy-efficient ones. His speech delivered after hoisting the national flag at the secretariat was a pre-poll effort to woo the poor through a slew of fresh populist schemes.