Welfare focus as K N Balagopal presents final full budget today

Thiruvananthapuram: Finance Minister K N Balagopal will present the final full budget of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government at 9 am on Wednesday in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. This will be his sixth consecutive budget presentation. With state elections only months away, the 2026 budget is widely expected to focus on infrastructure development and welfare measures, despite continuing financial constraints and reduced central funding. Public attention is centred on the possibility of an increase in social security pensions, steps to settle pending dearness allowance arrears of government employees, and further clarity on the new pension scheme. While the government is aiming to keep the budget “people-friendly” to ease the burden on ordinary citizens, it also faces the challenge of introducing practical measures to strengthen internal revenue. This comes at a time when the state has reported encouraging growth in the agriculture and industrial sectors.