Finance Minister KN Balagopal will present the Kerala Budget 2025 at 9 am on Friday. The upcoming budget is expected to accelerate economic growth, introduce innovative investment models and maintain robust welfare spending. In his policy address at the start of the session, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar highlighted the financial challenges Kerala faces, particularly due to the cessation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation.

Expectations
According to experts, in line with the LDF manifesto, the finance minister is expected to increase welfare pensions by Rs 100 or Rs 200 from the current Rs 1,600. Given the state’s financial constraints, the government is likely to increase fees and fines for various penalties to boost revenue and improve compliance.

Additionally, after a one-year gap, the fair price value of land is expected to be revised upwards. The Motor Vehicles Department has recommended removing tax rebates on automobiles due to the rising number of vehicle purchases. The budget is also likely to allocate significant funds for the development of hilly areas and rehabilitation in Wayanad.

Budget session schedule
The 2025-26 budget session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly, which began on January 17, will continue until March 28.

Feb 10-12: General discussion on the Kerala budget 2025-26.

Feb 13: Deliberation on the final batch of supplementary grants for the 2024-25 budget.

Feb 14 - Mar 2: Recess for detailed scrutiny of budget proposals by subject committees.

Mar 4-26: Department-wise discussions on budget allocations.

Mar 28: Conclusion of the budget session.

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