THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A controversy has been sparked on a state level inauguration of centre’s Kisan Samman Nidhi Project. When the state government decided to inaugurate the project in Kottayam, a parallel inaugural function organised by a team led by Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam in the capital city, has led to a controversy.

The function was organised by Kannanthanam in the capital city without informing the government which is a challenge to federalism and his action shows his political meanness, said Minister V S Sunil Kumar. The move of the BJP to change the inauguration of centre’s projects as party programme is not correct, he said. Sunil Kumar had inaugurated the state level inauguration of Kisan Saman Nidhi in Kottayam.

Meantime, the inaugural function of the project in Kazhakootam in the capital city was organised by a team led by Kannanthanam in the presence of central government officials. However, this was not informed to the state government, he said.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is an initiative by the government of India in which farmers who have less than 2 hectares (4.9 acres) of landholding will get upto Rs 6,000 per year as minimum income support. Applications were invited a few days back for the project announced by the centre. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the project at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.