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Declare Kerala backward for higher Budget allocation: Union minister’s response to state’s complaints triggers another storm
Pointing to the poor allocation of funds for the state, the Kerala government has alleged that the state is being punished for making great strides in social indicators such as health, education and population control.
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Union MoS for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian. (Photo: George Kurian/ X)Union minister and BJP leader George Kurian’s comments that Kerala could get a higher budgetary allocation if it was declared backward has caused further controversy in the state where the ruling CPI(M) and Opposition Congress have been hitting out at the Centre for giving Kerala an “inadequate” share in the Budget presented on Saturday.
Hours after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for the financial year 2025-26, Kurian, who is from Kerala and is Union MoS for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said during an interaction with the media: “Allotment is for backward states. Declare Kerala backward… Say we don’t have roads, we don’t have education. If Kerala declares that the state is educationally and socially backward, and infrastructure-wise backward, the (Finance) Commission will examine this and give a report to the government.”
He was responding to questions on the fund allocation to Kerala in the Budget.
Alleging that the Union Budget summarily rejected the demands of the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition leader V D Satheesan had on Saturday decried what they said was inadequate allotment of funds to Kerala and neglect towards the various packages that the state had expected.
Responding to the Union minister’s comments, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan on Sunday said Kurian should tender an apology to Kerala. “BJP leaders in Kerala want to see it as an impoverished state. The BJP has failed in its attempts to win over Kerala and now the party wants to make it a totally poor state. The BJP has adopted an anti-Kerala stand,” he said.
Several CPI(M) leaders and ministers in the Left government’s Cabinet also came out against Kurian’s remarks.
Senior Congress legislator and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said the Union minister’s statement is an insult to Kerala. “He has no right to continue as a minister. He should tender an apology after retracting the statement. The Budget has no reference to Kerala. When we are raising the issue as a political one, the minister has resorted to insulting the entire state. What role has the BJP and Sangh Parivar played in the various achievements of the state? The Sangh Parivar wants to abolish the achievements the state has made over the years. Minister Kurian’s words reflect the desire of the Sangh Parivar,” said Satheesan.
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Pointing to the poor allocation of funds for the state, the Kerala government has alleged that the state is being punished for making great strides in social indicators such as health, education and population control.
BJP state president K Surendran, however, has backed the Union minister. Surendran said on Sunday: “The exaggerated claim that Kerala is No 1 is not good for the state. Kerala has failed in presenting its backwardness in many sectors before the Union government.”
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