Kerala - Alappuzha   

‘Make use of Central package’

ALAPPUZHA: Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony has said the State government should set aside its differences over norms and make efforts to receive the first instalment of the Union government’s Rs.17,000-crore package announced after farmers’ suicides.

Reacting to Agriculture Minister Mullakara Ratnakaran’s reported statement on Monday that he did not know which package Mr. Antony was talking about, the Defence Minister said here on Tuesday that he did not intend any confrontation with the State government.

“The Union government, following farmers’ suicides in different parts of the country, had announced the package for various States, including Kerala, based on the ‘Vidharbha model.’

Other States, in spite of their differences over the norms, have received the first instalment. West Bengal is ruled by the CPI(M), but that State was among the first to receive an instalment of Rs.400 crore.”

“What I mean to say is that Kerala should receive the instalment and then sort out whatever differences there are over the norms. I have no intentions at all of belittling the State government,” Mr. Antony told reporters.

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