Centre continuously denying Kerala's demands; Chief Minister lashes out

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the central government was denying special assistance to Kerala even in the backdrop of disasters. Vijayan's comments come as a response to the delay in receiving central aid for the state.

"The central government has been consistently denying Kerala's demands. Kerala has been denied its rightful assistance. Whether it is in the share allocated by the Finance Commission, the Union Budget, or the decisions of the Ministry of Finance, the central government has adopted an approach that is against the interests of the state. Kerala is being denied its deserved share due to its achievements," the CM said.

Meanwhile, the High Court on Saturday harshly criticized the state government for not disclosing the exact amount to be used from the SDRF (State Disaster Relief Fund) for the Wayanad rehabilitation. The division bench also asked how the central government would pay if the state continues to not disclose the figures.

Even the Financial Officer, appearing in person to explain the state government's SDRF related to Wayanad's rehabilitation, failed to deliver lucid answers to the court’s queries. The court also demanded the state and central government end the mudslinging over the finance allocation.

The state government claimed they have Rs 667 crore left in the SDRF. The centre contributed Rs 291 crore in two instalments. In this, the state's share of Rs 97 crore has also been added. Rs 95 crore was spent by the state government on other disaster relief activities, including the one in Wayanad.

The state government was not able to answer the question of how much of this money would be spent on the rehabilitation of Wayanad. The hearing was adjourned to the 12th as the state government promised to submit the figures on Thursday.