Kerala Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal on Friday slammed the financial policies of the Union Government for depriving states including Kerala their rightful share and straining Centre-State relations.
Mr. Balagopal was inaugurating a panel discussion on the ‘state of state finances’, jointly organised by the Kerala Economic Association (KEA) and Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT), ahead of the 2024-25 budget.
States like Kerala face a tough situation with their taxation powers trimmed and development getting “minus marks,” he said. “It’s like being asked to swim with your hands and legs tied,” he said.