Financially strangulating state: Kerala Assembly passes resolution against Centre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Assembly on Friday passed a unanimous resolution which accused the union government of destroying the federal structure of the country by financially strangulating the state.

Speaker A N Shamseer announced that the resolution was passed unanimously even though the Opposition was not present in the assembly.

Introducing the resolution, Finance Minister K N Balagopal said the Centre has reduced Kerala's borrowing limit and slashed the revenue deficit grant. He also attacked the Congress-led UDF which boycotted the assembly proceedings instead of staying back for the resolution.

''All these actions of the central government amount to destroying the federal structure of the country. Like the Union government has full authority over the Union List, the Constitution provides the States absolute authority over the State List,'' Balagopal said.

He pointed out that the Centre had rejected the Finance Commission's recommendations and reduced Kerala's borrowing limit.

The resolution said that the states fund the majority of the expenses including on social welfare projects, but a huge chunk of revenue goes to the Centre. Criticising the UDF, Balagopal said the opposition ''created a drama'' so that they don't have to be a part of the resolution and in a way that ''they don't have to upset those in Delhi''.

''Are we not aware of the central government and its agencies? We saw what happened in Bihar. The CM resigned and he took oath as the CM in the same evening after joining the BJP. We saw what happened in Jharkhand,'' Balagopal said, referring to Nitish Kumar's shifting alliances and Hemant Soren's arrest by the ED respectively.

He said by not remaining in the house for the resolution against the central government, they Congress-led UDF were cheating the state instead of politically, economically and culturally upholding its interests.

''Now, the BJP, they will do anything, that is their politics. To support them, to extend all help to such agencies, aren't these things done by people who are priming themselves to join the BJP?,'' Balagopal asked.

He alleged that there are people in the assembly who file cases on behalf of the BJP.

Balagopal further said that the opposition boycotted the house as they would have been unable to give a reply to the allegations if they remained in the assembly.

In his speech, Balagopal said the details of the resolution were shared with the opposition but they boycotted the session.