While the Union interim Budget for 2019-2020 focused on small farmers and tax relief for a certain section of middle-class income earners, some specific requests made by the Tamil Nadu government such as special sanction for its coastal districts did not find mention.
Ahead of the Budget, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had sought for speedy release of funds and increased allocation for Centrally sponsored schemes and GST dues. The State had said grants-in-aid to the tune of ₹10,883.84 crore are yet to be released by the Union Government.
The Chief Minister had sought for special sanction of ₹6,000 crore for reconstruction of houses for the poor and ₹7,077 crore for conversion of High Tension and Low Tension overhead lines in the coastal districts.
He also requested a ₹625 crore sanction under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) scheme as a special case to farmers who have lost the trees/crops as a result of Cyclone Gaja.
Mr. Palaniswami sought an increase in the share of the post-matric scholarship between the Centre and State to 60:40.