THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ignored the needs of Kerala.

"The Centre did not consider Kerala's demand for AIIMS. It also turned its back on the state's perennial demand for a railway zone. It is learned that there was no mention of the K-Rail project. The union budget has not responded favourably to any of the urgent needs of the state," Kodiyeri said.

"The demand to extend the state's compensation share as part of the GST system was also not considered. While Rs 39,000 crore was earmarked for vaccination during the Covid period, now only Rs 5,000 crore has been set aside. This will definitely be a setback for the fight against Covid," he added.

"Petroleum products have been hiked by Rs 2 per litre with effect from October 1 this year. This tax increase is not shared with the states. The 28 per cent cut in food subsidies will adversely affect the state. The 25 per cent reduction in fertilizer subsidy will affect our agricultural sector. Privatization measures, including the sale of LIC shares, will also have serious repercussions," Kodiyeri said.