Budget rejected demands of Kerala; Centre's approach violates federal nature of Constitution, says CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union Budget has turned into a political document of neglect that goes against Kerala’s expectations, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He criticized the budget, stating that by disregarding the interests of states, it violates the federal nature of the Constitution.

"The state had requested a special package for Wayanad, which had suffered an unprecedented disaster. However, the budget did not allocate anything for it. Kerala had sought a special package of Rs 24,000 crore, and also demanded that Vizhinjam be given due consideration recognizing its national importance. None of these requests were considered. Moreover, there are no major projects for Kerala in the budget. Long-standing demands such as AIIMS and a railway coach factory were also ignored," the Chief Minister said.

"While Rs 25 lakh crore has been allocated for states, Kerala is set to receive not even Rs 40,000 crore. The budget appears to punish Kerala for its progress, especially in the education sector. If progress has been achieved, there is no allocation for that sector. If progress is yet to be made, there is no allocation for that either. The state’s demands regarding its borrowing limits were also not accepted. There is no increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural products, and no consideration for rubber, paddy, or coconut farming. The proposals submitted for these crops were rejected, and there will be no restrictions on rubber imports. This is extremely disappointing and unfortunate. The budget should be an economic document, but it instead follows a political approach by focusing on regions based on upcoming elections. This undermines the very concept of balanced development. The Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), as well as farmers and agricultural workers, have not received their fair share," he said.

Not only is there insufficient consideration for the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors, but various agricultural subsidies have also been cut. The rural employment guarantee scheme (MGNREGA) was a major relief for poor sections of society, yet even that has not been allocated a fair share in the budget. The budget will increase inflation, unemployment and poverty, and stall development," he added.