Centre not solely responsible for Kerala's financial woes, says V D Satheesan

Centre not solely responsible for Kerala’s financial woes, says V D Satheesan

Kerala Opposition leader V D Satheesan on Thursday said the central government was not entirely responsible for the financial troubles of Kerala.

Explaining the reason why the Congress –led-UDF in Kerala is not supporting the protest being conducted by the ruling LDF government in Delhi on Thursday, Satheesan said the Centre government is not solely responsible for Kerala’s financial troubles. Financial mismanagement and administrative failures of the ruling LDF government also contributed to the state’s financial woes , he said.

Satheesan said that the UDF did not join the LDF protest in Delhi as they created a narrative blaming the Central government for all the financial problems of the state to hide their mismanagement, extravagance and corruption.

“Central neglect is just one of many things. This is a government that does not even pay pensions. The Opposition had given constructive suggestions to the government. The state government has pushed Kerala into crisis,” Satheesan told media persons in Thiruvananthapuram.

Satheesan said that the state government’s claim that Rs 57,800 crores are to be received from the Centre is an absolute lie.

He alleged that the LDF government lacks consistency regarding the financial woes of Kerala. The Oppositionleader said that what the LDF government said in the Supreme Court was different from what it said in Delhi and what was said in the state Assembly regarding the financial woes of Kerala.

He slammed the LDF government for moving the Supreme Court saying that there should be no limit on borrowing by the state. “If there is no limit, where will it stop? Where will they take the state? They have pushed Kerala into a dangerous financial situation,” Satheesan alleged.

The LDF government in Kerala staged a protest in New Delhi on Thursday against the BJP-led Centre government’s alleged discrimination and neglect in the allocation of funds to Kerala . The protest was led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Satheesan expressed doubt whether the SFIO probe into the dealings of the company owned by the CM’s daughter Veena Vijayan would reach its logical conclusion, or whether it will be ‘settled’ like the cases such as the gold smuggling, dollar smuggling and Life mission scam.

He alleged that Union Minister V Muraleedharan was negotiating with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at night.

“V Muraleedharan is the mediator between Pinarayi Vijayan and the Centre. He also settled Surendran’s Kodakara money heist case,” Satheesan alleged.