'Declare Kerala Backward If You Want Funds': Union Minister George Kurian Courts Controversy
(MENAFN- Live Mint) George Kurian waded into controversy on Sunday after asking Kerala to 'declare itself backward' if it wanted Central funds. The remarks soon after Opposition leaders - including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan - heaped criticism on the Budget. The Congress-led UDF has since called for the Union Minister to withdraw his remarks and tender an apology to the people of the state.
“You announce that Kerala is backward, that it does not have roads, good education, etc. If you say that Kerala is behind other states in terms of education, infrastructure, and social welfare, then the (Finance) Commission will examine it and give a report to the central government. The central government will take a decision based on the report. It does not decide on its own,” Kurian suggested while speaking to reporters.
Both the ruling CPI(M) and the Opposition Congress have been vocal in their criticism of the Budget announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday. The parties accuse the Central government of "neglecting" all of the demands made by Kerala.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, state Finance Minister K N Balagopal, and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan said that several of the demands, including a special financial package of ₹24,000 crore and another package for the rehabilitation of Wayanad, were "ignored" in the budget.
Kurian however insisted that the Centre allocated such financial packages to states that are backward on various indices.
The remarks have irked both the Congress and CPI(M). State secretary MV Govindan contended that the Centre wanted Kerala to be backward instead of helping it develop further - but assured that this "will not happen".
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