Kerala Budget 2025-26: Land Tax Hike, Infra & Growth
A 50% hike in the land tax, expected to bring in an additional Rs.100 crore for the State government, plans to transform the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) into a “revenue-generating entity,” as well as announcements aimed at boosting investment-friendly infrastructure, marked the 2025-2026 Kerala Budget presented by Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal here on Friday.
Presenting his fifth Budget in the Kerala Assembly, Mr. Balagopal chose to paint an optimistic picture of a State economy that has “definitely overcome the trying times of severe fiscal constraints” that had affected it in recent years.
Wayanad rehab
In some areas, the Budget sped along expected lines as it announced a project with a Phase-1 funding of Rs.750 crore for the rehabilitation of landslide survivors in Wayanad and a Rs.50-crore special package for mitigating human-wildlife conflict. Though expected, the 2025-26 Budget, the last full one of the current Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, did not announce any hike in the social security pensions.
