Kerala CM slams Union Budget, says it's designed solely for NDA govt’s survival
The finance minister's announcements, under the preface of eight national priorities, ignore most of the states, including Kerala, he said
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has alleged that the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Tuesday (July 23) is designed for the Central government's political survival while neglecting a majority of the states.
Slamming the Centre for its alleged bias, the chief minister said, “The budget reveals a discriminatory approach towards most of the states. The finance minister's announcements, under the preface of eight national priorities, ignore a majority of the states, including Kerala. While there is no opposition to announcing development plans necessary for any state, neglecting any particular state is unacceptable. This approach hinders the progress of states like Kerala. The refusal to consider the crucial needs repeatedly raised by Kerala is a challenge to the people of this state.”
Demands not met
Pinarayi emphasised that Kerala will undertake appropriate efforts to reiterate its demands to the Centre. He noted that long-standing demands, such as the establishment of an AIIMS in Kerala, have not been considered. Additionally, the state has been overlooked in matters of disaster prevention and the tourism sector. “This neglect is disappointing and deserves protest,” he added.
The chief minister highlighted that some announcements in the agricultural sector require direct intervention by states, with financial empowerment being the most essential aspect. “How can agricultural growth be achieved without this empowerment,” he asked. “The Union government's approach, including controlling the borrowing limits, makes it difficult for states to spend on development activities.”
He pointed out that when announcing centrally sponsored schemes, states also incur financial costs. This time, in the projects announced in areas such as urban development, it seems that the Centre is intruding into the state’s taxation authority. “The finance minister mentioned the need to reduce stamp duty. After the implementation of GST, states have very limited independent tax authority. Even that is being subjected to the Centre's conditions through centrally sponsored schemes in the budget. This is inconsistent with federal principles,” he stated.
‘Major schemes hit’
According to Pinarayi, significant cuts have been made in important central schemes. “The allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was ₹272,802 crore in 2022-23, but this time it is only ₹205,220 crores. The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Abhiyaan scheme had an allocation of ₹12,681 crore in 2022-23, which has been reduced to ₹12,467 crore. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme had an allocation of ₹90,806 crore in 2022-23, but this time it is only ₹86,000 crores. These figures indicate an indifferent attitude towards schemes that impact ordinary people.”
Urging for a unified opinion across political lines in Kerala against this “neglect”, he said they are lodging a strong protest against this approach.
