A major disappointment for Kerala is the absence of any mention to an Indian Institute of Technology, a long-standing demand of the state.

It may be mentioned that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had promised Kerala an IIT in his address to the Kerala Development Congress, organised by his own party in the Thiruvananthapuram recently. In a way, the FM’s failure to make any mention of it must have caused acute embarrassment for the Prime Minister.

Another setback for the state has been the failure of the FM to allocate any funds for the Kochi Metro Line. What adds insult to the state’s injury is the fact that the Finance Minister has provided funds for the Bangalore and Chennai metro lines. With the inauguration of the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal and with the Smart City project set to take off, the importance of the Kochi metro line cannot be overemphasized. But Mr Pranab Mukherjee has refused to sanction funds for the project, much to the dismay of Keralites.

There is also no special package for the victims of the havoc caused by aerial spraying of pesticide endusulphan in Kasargod district of the state. A large number of people had died and many more had been maimed for life in the reckless use of the pesticide. National Human Rights Commission chairman Justice K G Balakrishnan, who had visited the affected areas, had recommended a special package for the victims. But the Union Finance Minister has chosen to ignore it in callous indifference.

The proposal to bring u Special Economic Zones and SEZ providers under the Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT) has also caused dismay in the state. The move will have an adverse impact on the Vallarpadam container transshipment terminal.

A silver lining has been – if it can be called one – has been the allocation of Rs 100 crore for the setting up of Wayanad Veterinary University and Rs 50 crore for the Malappuram branch of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus.

The latter is obviously aimed at wooing the Muslims and the Indian Union Muslim League, an ally of the Congress in Kerala in an election year. After all, Malappuram is an IUML stronghold.

Incidentally, the Congress and the United Democratic Front headed by it had strongly criticized the LDF Government in the state when it sanctioned a few unaided schools in Malappuram district. The parties had then dubbed the decision as an unabashed attempt to woo Muslims in an election year. Obviously, what is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander!

Last but not the least, the introduction of service tax on hotels charging Rs 1000 and above will have a dampening effect on tourism, which is a major source of income for the state. (IPA Service)