Chennai, Aug 3 (IANS) The J. Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu will present its first budget Thursday on the first day of the nearly month-long budget session.


Finance Minister O. Pannerselvam is expected to make several announcements relating to welfare measures and promises made by the AIADMK in its poll manifesto.

The AIADMK had promised distribution of free laptops for students and fan, mixer, grinder, cattle and gold for 'mangalsutra' for the poor.

The budget is also expected to unfold free medical insurance and free housing schemes for the poor.

The AIADMK government earlier scrapped the insurance and housing schemes introduced by the previous DMK government.

The government is also expected to announce steps to revive the near defunct Arasu Cable Corporation set up to provide cable television service in the state and measures to meet the power shortage.

Jayalalithaa earlier said the state would not be in a position to meet the stipulations relating to revenue and fiscal deficits due to its high debt.

According to her, the outstanding debt of the state had climbed to Rs.101,541 crore, in addition to the outstanding Rs.40,000 crore debt of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company.

Though DMK won 23 seats in the April 13 elections, its strength in the assembly will be reduced during the budget session as one of its legislators J. Anbazhagan is under arrest in a land grab case.

The DMDK, the second largest party in the assembly with 29 members in the 234-member house, said will sail with its alliance partner AIADMK but play a constructive opposition role by pointing out the government's lapses.

"Now it is not the time to take our own line as the division of anti-DMK forces will only help DMK to revive," Panruti S. Ramachandran, senior DMDK leader, told IANS.