THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a U turn from the state government stance on the spending of public money for the proposed women's wall on January 1, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said not a single paise will be taken from the public coffer of the state for the women's wall formation.
The fund Rs 50 crore set aside by the government was meant for the government projects, he said while addressing the renaissance meeting organised by the women employees in the secretariat. Earlier, in an affidavit filed in the Kerala High Court, the state government contended that around Rs 50 crore has been set aside for preventing atrocities against women, while confirming that public money will be spent on the women's wall.
While clarifying the state government stance Friday, the chief minister said the state government will extend all support to the women's wall. The campaign that Rs 50 crore set aside for the women welfare projects was for the women's wall, was misleading. The state government in fact appraised the high court that the Rs 50 crore was meant for women empowerment projects. At the same time, he said the state government will not backtrack form the renaissance, but it doesn't mean that the fund required for the project will be spent by the state government, he said.
Finance Minister Thomas Isaac also clarified in a tweet that “Gov. of Kerala considers the Women’s Wall where 3 m. are expected to participate to be important initiative for women empowerment and equality. It is also an official program Women and Gender Dev. Dept. But no need for any confusion- No Dept. fund will be spent for it.”