The general discussion on the State Budget 2022-23 proceeded along familiar lines on the second day in the Kerala Assembly with the Opposition branding it as unrealistic and the ruling MLAs staunchly defending and hailing it as a development manifesto for the coming decades. While the discussions often veered towards political issues unconnected to the Budget, some of the MLAs came up with suggestions for Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal.
UDF MLA P.J. Joseph said the doubling of land tax is unjustified at a time when farmers are going through a hard time. He said the hike should be limited to 10-15%. The minimum support price (MSP) being offered for rubber is too low. The moratorium on loans should be extended as several people, including farmers, are getting revenue recovery notices, he said.
Job Michael, MLA of LDF constituent party Kerala Congress(M), said the Budget book reminded him of his late party leader K.M. Mani who had presented similar people-friendly projects in his Budgets. He demanded that the MSP for paddy should be increased.
CPI(M) MLA V.K. Prasanth said the Budget lays the groundwork for developmental projects in the State for the next 25 years. He said the UDF which is harping on the debts does not understand that most States have similar amounts of debts. The LDF government stands apart in effectively utilising the borrowings, he said.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator K.P.A. Majeed accused the Finance Minister of taking a cruel stand by providing only a fraction of the funds required for the constituencies. "It seems Malappuram district does not exist in his map as it has not got the required attention," he said.
CPI(M) MLA U. Prathibha said the UDF MLAs have failed to identify the long-term vision in the Budget because they are “still using outdated tools” to analyse it. She also hailed the cultural interventions proposed in the Budget.
Congress MLA M. Vincent said the LDF had promised to increase welfare pensions 10% annually but is silent about it now as the elections are over. CPI(M) MLA K.V. Sumesh hit back, accusing the UDF of leaving behind months of arrears of welfare pensions, which the LDF had promptly cleared, he said.
IUML MLA T.V. Ibrahim said there is partiality in fund allocation, with the Opposition MLAs not receiving enough. The government has also not provided the details of expenditure and the amount collected as flood cess, he said. Congress MLA Shafi Parambil said there has been no fund distribution through the Aswasa Kiranam project that provides financial support to bed-ridden patients in the past two years.
CPI(M) MLA M.Mukesh said the Budget puts forward a developmental alternative. He lauded the considerable funding for the Culture department. He also lampooned the Congress for its losses in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, warning the Congress MLAs to be wary of their leaders from outside the State finding Kerala a safe place to contest.
