THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lashing out at the Union budget, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that the budget has completely ignored the demands put forward by Kerala.

The 22 percent tax and surcharge on cooperative societies announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman can be fatal as it can destroy the basement os such societies, he said. He also criticized the budget for not announcing the money that is necessary for the survival of the Cochin Shipyard and refinery.

"The central government has ignored all our demands such as Semi High-Speed Corridor, Angamaly-Sabari railway line, GST compensation, increasing of subsidy for rubber, AIIMS for the state, extra deposit for institutions such as FACT, fastening of development of National Highways and many more," he said.