Thiruvanathapuram: Opposition Leader in the Kerala Assembly, Pinarayi Vijayan, on Friday criticized the revised Budget presented by Chief Minister V D Satheeshan, accusing the government of rebranding announcements made by the previous LDF dispensation.
At a press conference, Pinarayi said the Budget is tilted towards a pro-privatisation policy and lacks social welfare measures. He warned that the focus on pro-corporate and private capital policies could harm Kerala’s development model, which is firmly rooted in social welfare and justice.
The former chief minister added that the UDF’s budget lacks a clear direction for poverty eradication initiatives and fails to outline steps to sustain the progress made in eliminating extreme poverty.
Pinarayi said the proposals in sectors like coastal development, fisheries, mineral corridors, and logistics infrastructure clearly indicate a shift towards privatisation. He added that these plans reflect the Centre’s policies favouring the private sector over public sector-oriented development.
In the abkari sector, the opposition leader suspected large-scale production of low-strength alcohol by private companies, which contradicted the previous LDF government’s plan to promote agricultural produce like grains for alcohol production in small-scale industries. However, the UDF government’s budget proposals seem tilted towards corporates.
BJP says Budget lacks a clear roadmap
The BJP legislators on Friday criticised the budget presented by Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, claiming it was full of ambitious promises without a clear roadmap for implementation or resource mobilisation. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the budget was rich in announcements but lacked clarity on how the government planned to finance the various projects and welfare schemes proposed.
He pointed out that Kerala was already burdened with a debt of Rs 5.07 lakh crore, and noted that three of the five Indira Guarantees promised by Rahul Gandhi during the assembly election campaign were not meaningfully reflected in the budget.
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