Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Achuthanandan seeks White Paper on State finances

Special Correspondent

The Leader of the Opposition accuses the UDF Government of having pushed up State's debt burden.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition V. S. Achuthanandan has sought a white paper on the `messy' State finances.

In a statement here on Friday, Mr. Achuthanandan accused the Government of having pushed up Kerala's debt burden two-and-a-half times that at the time when it assumed office in 2001 and of having failed to keep its word, contained in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, to phase out revenue deficit and fiscal deficit by March 2007. The Budget is proof that the A. K. Antony Government's special package for farmers was nothing but a hollow promise and that it would disappoint farmers, those in the traditional industries and youth in the State, the Opposition Leader said.

CPI(M) secretariat

Commenting on the 2006-'07 Budget, the CPI(M) State secretariat said the Budget would leave an all-time record revenue deficit consequent upon the Government's decision not to raise additional resources and the likely fall in the quantum of funds to be devolved from the Centre under the 12th Finance Commission Award. It also took strong exception to what it termed the reduction in the grants and Plan outlay for the local self-government institutions and said the Government appeared to be getting ready to take back a large portion of the funds allotted to the local bodies in the last Budget.

RSP State secretary T. J. Chandrachoodan said the Budget was intended only to hoodwink the people as it contained no proposal for resource mobilisation to finance the benefits and concessions announced by the Finance Minister. The Budget, he said, would hurt coir, cashew and handloom sectors that employed lakhs of people.

CITU State general secretary P. K. Gurudasan said the budget would benefit only the manufacturers in the coir sector and leave the 3.75 lakh workers in the lurch.

He lso took exception to the Finance Minister's refusal to announce any relief for the fisheries sector by way of subsidies and any budgetary provision to revive the public sector units.

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