A meeting of the Members of the Parliament from the State, called by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday, prior to the upcoming Parliament session, unanimously decided to visit the Union Ministers concerned to demand that Kerala’s borrowing limit be enhanced as per the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission.
The members of the State Cabinet and senior civil servants joined the meeting called online by the Chief Minister. Many current issues faced by the State and matters which need Centre’s intervention were discussed.
The main topic discussed at the meeting was the Centre slashing the State’s borrowing limit and the meeting agreed that the Centre should withdraw the step. The meeting also decided to raise with the Central Ministries and the Parliament the issue of the Centre withdrawing the State’s revenue subsidy, stopping the GST compensation, and the delay in giving the GST compensation arrears.
The Centre is yet to give the salary arrears to teaching faculty in colleges when the UGC’s seventh pay revision was implemented. With regard to the paddy procurement price too,the Central share was due, something that should be resolved immediately. The meeting also decided to raise this in the Parliament.
The MPs decided to visit the Union Ministers as a delegation. There are other States also which are facing similar issues vis-a-vis the Centre and it was decided at the meeting to stand together with these States and to organise protest programmes.
In the first phase of the protest, a joint memorandum would be submitted, which will be prepared by the Finance Minister. The distribution of grants to local self-government bodies as per the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission has been stalled now.
LSG bodies have to receive ₹51.5 crore for the 2022-23 financial year and ₹137 crore by way of health grant. The Union Finance Ministry’s new stipulation regarding the distribution of grants to LSG bodies, recommended by the 14th Finance Commission’s grant, was termed “unconstitutional” at the meeting.
The delays in security clearance to the proposed airport at Sabarimala, the need for Centre’s intervention to check the hike in fare of foreign airlines flying into Kerala, the inability of the Kannur international airport to start foreign air services because the the denial of Point of Call status to the airport were also discussed at the meeting.
