Wheat down,liquor up

Tax on alcohol; easing the VAT burden on domestic LPG,insulin,fertilisers,wheat,oats and sanitary napkins; free distribution of CFL to poor households; modernising the state police; interest-free loans for farmers and weavers; measures to increase farm,dairy,poultry and fishery produces the J Jayalalithaa government presented its second budget for the coming financial year on Monday,paying special attention to the social welfare schemes that the party had announced ahead of the Assembly election last year.

The budget presented by Finance Minister O Panneerselvam envisaged an expected receipt of Rs 1,00,589.92 crore and an estimated expenditure of Rs 98,213.85 crore for the coming financial year.

The state has proposed to tax alcoholic beverages at 14.50 per cent. The government,said Panneerselvam,expected an additional resource mobilisation of Rs 1,500 crore through additional taxes. A record sum of Rs 14,552.82 crore has been earmarked for school education.