The allocations in the State Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 aimed at coastal development are deemed “disappointing” by residents, particularly due to the budget’s apparent silence on issues concerning coastal area protection. Among the allocations, ₹40 crore has been designated for the ‘Punargeham’ project, aimed at rehabilitating individuals directly threatened by coastal erosion and families residing within 50 meters of areas consistently under the threat of sea encroachment.
While the Finance Minister highlighted that the allocation of ₹40 crore doubled that of the previous year, coastal residents expressed concerns that this amount would be included in the over ₹400 crore initially allocated for the rehabilitation program. Sherry M. Thomas from the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council noted that the initial opposition to the ‘Punargeham’ project stemmed from the fact that the earmarked amount of ₹10 lakh per family for rehabilitation fell short of meeting the costs of acquiring land and constructing a house.
Joseph Jude, representing the interests of the coastal community, maintained that despite the Finance Minister’s assertion that ₹226.80 crore had been expended on the ‘Punargeham’ project since the 2021-22 financial year, only a few individuals had opted for the rehabilitation program. In the previous budget, the Minister had disclosed an allocation of ₹67.75 crore for the ‘Punargeham’ scheme, supplementing the budgetary provision for 2022-23, and increased the allocation to ₹20 crore in 2023-24 from an initial ₹16 crore.
The budget also allocates ₹10 crore to enhance health infrastructure and establish de-addiction centres in tribal and coastal regions, while ₹136.98 crore is earmarked for coastal area development.