Congress, UDF displaying anti-Kerala sentiments like BJP, says CM
The Hindu
Pinarayi Vijayan slams UDF & Congress for anti-Kerala attitude akin to BJP, criticizes Centre's neglect of Kerala & violation of Constitution.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Congress seem to have adopted an anti-Kerala attitude akin to the BJP to ruin the State.
Addressing the Navakerala Sadas for the Thrikkakara Assembly constituency on Monday, Mr. Vijayan slammed the Leader of the Opposition for turning down a request by the State Cabinet to project a united front in fighting the Centre’s discrimination against Kerala. “Unfortunately, the Opposition leader had taken the position that it [the Opposition] did not want to have any understanding with us,” he alleged.
Not a single Member of Parliament out of the 18 UDF MPs has raised any opposition to the Centre’s neglect of Kerala, Mr. Vijayan said. He added that despite making all-round progress, the State was in financial crisis owing to hurdles posed by the Centre.
The Constitution empowers States to take loans to ensure financial stability to reaffirm which the State Assembly has passed legislation. However, the Centre is intervening in that right, which is a violation of the Constitution, the Chief Minister said.
“The Centre’s proportion of debt to total revenue remains at 51%, while that of the State government stands at a mere 35%. Yet, the Centre has cut shot our capacity to take loan through measures like including the debt of KIIFB [Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board] in the State’s debt. The State government has been paying social welfare pension to 62 lakh people at the rate of ₹1,600 through a company, which was then reimbursed by the government. But now the debt of that company has also been included in the government’s debt,” said Mr. Vijayan in a perceived attempt to explain the disruption in welfare pension.
Presenting a progress report of sorts of the LDF government since 2016, Mr. Vijayan said the domestic growth of the State had grown by 8% between 2016 and 2023. The State’s own revenue has registered a massive growth of 41%, while domestic production has grown from ₹5 lakh crore to ₹10 lakh crore during the same period. The per capita income has increased by ₹80,000.
The State, the Chief Minister said, was staring at the prospect of having to meet 71% of its expenditure during this fiscal as the Centre had progressively reduced the State’s share of tax revenue to a mere 29% as against the national average of 47%. The pending revenue deficit grant due has also piled up.
Growing up in Kolkata, trams have always been more than just a mode of transport for me; it’s been a source of respite from the chaos all around. The familiar sound of the tram’s bell which could be heard in every nook and corner and the gentle sway of the carriage through the bustling streets, trams became synonymous with my life in the city of joy. The perpetual news to cease the tram services feels like a piece of my childhood slipping away.
Displaced by the Polavaram irrigation project, the Koyas, Konda Reddi tribes and Dalits along the Godavari coast are being forced to go against their traditions and bury the dead bodies of their beloved in their farmlands and abandoned places due to the lack of designated burial grounds in the R&R Colonies