Kerala house meeting and Guv Arlekar's sportsmanship

The Left Front government in Kerala, at odds with the central government on many issues, has taken the first step in its efforts to achieve its demands through persuasion. This was conspicuous from the meeting between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Kerala House in Delhi the other day. The highlight of the meeting was the presence of the governor, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. It seems the new governor has started work on an amenable note unlike his predecessor Khan.

The bolstering in the relationship between the government and Raj Bhavan would benefit the common interest of the state. It is also commendable that the government has finally endorsed the approach of cooperation rather than confrontation with the central government.

On Wednesday, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman patiently listened to the demands put forward by the Chief Minister while having breakfast with the state Governor and Chief Minister at Kerala House. The governor of a ruling party at the centre coming in aid for the LDF CM of another state for a high profile meeting with the union finance minister is unheard of. The Union Finance Minister reportedly assured that the state's needs would be considered sympathetically.

A mechanism needs to be put in place to constantly exert pressure on the Union Minister in this regard. The government realized that amicable parleys would yield the dividends rather than useless legal battles. The petition filed in the Supreme Court challenging the cut in financial allocation is still pending. There are certain norms that the Centre adheres to in such matters. There is little chance of achieving anything through the case, except for paying hefty fees to lawyers. From high-speed rail to Wayanad rehabilitation, discussions with the Union Minister took place on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister has requested that the deadline for utilizing the Rs 529 crore interest-free loan granted by the Centre for the rehabilitation of Wayanad be extended. The Union Minister is also aware that this amount cannot be fully utilized before March 31. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the deadline will be extended. Further discussions will now take place at the official level. Through constant communication with the Centre, decisions are expected to slowly give the desired results. The Centre has an experienced Finance Minister who is realistic about the state's financial problems.

The state can utilize this opportunity properly. Diplomatic moves like this one should be repeated. Persuasion and amicable talks could break ice between the two governments in Kerala and Delhi.