KOCHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday told Kerala’s Special Representative in Delhi, Prof K V Thomas, that the Centre’s delay in releasing funds to the state towards national highway land acquisition was due to similar payments being made to other states.
Prof Thomas met Sitharaman at Kartavya Bhavan in Delhi ahead of the Union Budget and raised issues flagged earlier by Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal during the pre Budget consultation held this month.
A key demand was the reimbursement of around Rs 10,000 crore spent by Kerala for acquiring land for national highway development, the highest by any state. Prof Thomas also sought the release of nearly Rs 8,000 crore pending to Kerala as GST compensation reimbursement.
The meeting also discussed Kerala’s demand for an AIIMS and measures to improve access to financial assistance for small scale industries in the state, according to a press note.
The discussions were a follow up to Balagopal’s earlier talks with the Union finance minister.