THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister K N Balagopal has dismissed the opposition charge that the state government has cut down Plan fund.
Answering discussions held in the assembly on the adjournment motion of the opposition, he said that in all sectors the plan spending has reached over 50 per cent. “However, the government has brought in some management in the plan fund. According to the change in the fiscal situation, this would also be avoided. It is not the policy of the government to cut down plan spending. The government has not cut down any spend in any sector”, he said.
He alleged that even when the Centre is destroying constitutional values and federalism, the opposition in the state has taken a rigid political position.
Presenting the adjournment motion, Mathew Kuzhalnadan told the assembly that the state is going through a severe fiscal crisis. “The government has implemented treasury ban curtailing plan spend. While all the other southern states had made achievements from globalisation and liberalisation started by the Congress government, Kerala could not achieve it,” he added.
The leader of opposition V D Satheesan alleged that the plan size of Kerala has now become like a ‘bonsai’ tree. “The tax administration is in a poor state. Tax evasion has created a parallel economy in the state”, he said.