Not that there were huge expectations from this budget. But there were hopes that this time around, this budget would concede at least a few demands made by the State. As a wag put it, if last year’s budget was a disaster, this one was a calamity as far as Kerala is concerned. The presence of two ministers in the new Modi Cabinet and the opening of BJP’s Lok Sabha account from Kerala had raised expectations all round. But that was not to be. The unmistakable perception is that Kerala has been meted out a raw deal for an umpteenth time.

The unkindest cut has been the refusal to concede the demand for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences-like institution and rail facilities. Unlike in the previous years, the anticipation this year was very high mainly because of the presence of two union ministers of state from Kerala, one of whom, Suresh Gopi, is the BJP’s first-ever elected MP from the State.

When he emerged victorious from Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, Malayalam cinema’s super star Suresh Gopi had given the impression that developmental activities in the State would now receive a big boost. He had made particular mention of the AIIMS demand becoming a reality although he said it would not be established in Kozhikode as was widely believed. Instead, it would come up in an area where the real estate interests would be taken care of! If the AIIMS is set up in Kozhikode, it would not benefit the real estate lobby. Hence the hint that Kozhikode would not get it. Another Gopi excuse for denying the institution to Kozhikode was that the state had yet to acquire the required 200 acres of land for the purpose!

The facts, however, tell an entirely different tale. Kozhikode’s claims for the AIIMS are very strong. First and foremost, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had already acquired over 200 acres for the establishment of the AIIMS – 151.58 acres under the control of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and over 50 acres from private parties. This ground reality effectively demolishes Suresh Gopi’s claims to the contrary. The sensitive issue had acquired a political colour, emerging as a hot topic of discussion in the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, too.

Other demands of the state which were not conceded include the one for a Rs 24,000-crore special package to “tide over the liquidity stress” and a Rs 5000-crore special assistance for the Vizhinjam seaport.

Another demand which failed to find any mention in the Budget is the Rs 5000-crore assistance for financing infrastructure projects, including the Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel link. The demand for better rail facilities and lessening the rail passengers’ travails have been neglected too. A separate railway zone for Kerala is a long-standing demand. So are higher allocation for implementation of the Angamaly-Sabari rail project. Both remain unaddressed in this budget.

No wonder, the wilful neglect of Kerala has drawn sharp criticism both from the CPI(M)-led LDF Government and the opposition United Democratic Front(UDF) headed by the Congress. The crux of their criticism was that the Budget was an unabashed political act aimed at appeasing the allies who were in a position to undermine the NDA Government at the Centre.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Budget lacked a national character and discriminated against the non-NDA-ruled states. It also went against the very grain of federalism and focussed solely on the union government’s political self-preservation. The Chief Minister also gave a call for bipartisan protests against the Union Government’s bias against Kerala. The CM also accused the Modi Government of hindering the State’s essential infrastructure development by imposing an unreasonable ceiling on the borrowing limits of the States. Nor does the Budget have any allocation to alleviate agrarian distress, he added. Moreover, the GST regime, Pinarayi pointed out, had deprived the States of their taxation powers. To add insult to injury, the Union Government had also whittled down the share of the States from the divisive tax pool.

Leader of the opposition VD Satheesan was equally critical of the Budget. He termed the budget pro-corporate. There were no viable schemes to generate employment, curb inflation and lessen the growing rich-poor divide in the country, he opined.

The gravity of the Union Government’s offence can be gauged from the fact that the Finance Minister did not consider Kerala worthy of mentioning in her speech! The days ahead are set to witness vehement protests against the Kerala-hostile attitude of the Union Government. A heartening development in this regard has been the unity displayed by the LDF Government and the opposition UDF in opposing the discrimination against Kerala in the Union Budget. (IPA Service)