THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While underscoring the LDF government's resolve to continue with its welfare and development measures, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's first policy address to the 15th Legislative Assembly cautioned that the second wave of the Covid pandemic would cause major impediments to the state's economic growth.
"We expected a sharp recovery in the economic growth to 6.6% in 2021-22. But the second wave of the pandemic can be an impediment to this expectation," the Governor said. He added that the downturn in growth of GSDP would naturally have adverse consequences on the state's revenue receipts as well. The Governor also added that an estimated 37.87% rise in revenue receipts in 2021-22 would be constrained by the lockdown that was necessitated by a surge in Covid cases.
Reiterating the state's policy to provide free Covid vaccines to all, the Governor said the differential pricing of vaccines would cause an additional burden of Rs 1,000 crore to the state exchequer.
The state government has floated a global tender for import of three crore vaccine doses and would procure one crore doses from the domestic market, he said.
Centre Flayed
The Governor's address also had a few adverse remarks against the Centre. The Governor remarked that the Centre's imposition of conditions for raising the state's annual borrowing limit ran counter to the basic principles of cooperative federalism. On the Cooperative sector, the recent policies of the Centre were retrogressive for the sector, the Governor said in his policy address.
Key declarations in Governor’s policy address:
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