Stung by criticism by ruling and Opposition fronts, Kerala BJP scrambles to defend Union Budget
The Hindu
The Kerala leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party scrambled to defend the Union Budget 2024-25 amidst stinging criticism that it was patently anti-Kerala and held no promise for the State.
The Kerala leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party scrambled to defend the Union Budget 2024-25 amidst stinging criticism that it was patently anti-Kerala and held no promise for the State.
Suresh Gopi, MP, attributed the non-allocation of an AIIMS for Kerala to the “inadequate 150 acres” allotted by the State government for the premium institute. Mr. Gopi’s high-decibel campaign in Thrissur hinged on the singular assurance of sizeable budgetary dividends, including big-ticket infrastructure projects.
The BJP’s State leadership appeared pricked by the refrain that the Union Budget ignored Kerala. The narrative of the ruling front and the Opposition about the Union Budget dominated the airwaves, triggered chyrons highly critical of the Narendra Modi government, and did not seem to augur well for the State BJP’s public image.
Former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan countered that the Union Budget promised employment for nearly four crore youths. Kerala, with its highly skilled workforce, stood to benefit the most. The Central government had pre-empted the exodus of Kerala youth to foreign nations for employment.
He termed the Centre’s decision to pay the first month’s salary of newly employed persons revolutionary. He said cancelling the angel tax for start-ups and enhancing the Mudra loan would boost Kerala’s young entrepreneurs.
Mr. Muraleedharan said Kerala should take advantage of the 50-year loan scheme offered by the Centre for the Development of States instead of relying on Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)’s high-interest borrowings from the open financial market.
Mr. Muraleedharan asked whether Kerala had properly articulated its needs to the Central government as Bihar and Andhra Pradesh had.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has sought a report from the State government on a complaint that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had taken up works amounting to ₹387 crore in violation of rules in Varuna and Srirangapatna Assembly constituencies, allegedly on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s oral instructions.
“We are organising a health research convention, which comprises a couple of workshops, community-based learning, and also cardiac care. We also included a one-day seminar on medical education, how medical education has evolved in India and the U.K., and what we can learn from each other” said Dr. Piruthivi Sukumar Dean of the International Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Leeds during his interaction with The Hindu.