Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State general secretary M.T. Ramesh has asked Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac to clarify the reasons for the poor absorption of Plan funds.
Mr. Ramesh told reporters here on Friday that while 70 per cent of the Plan funds were remaining unutilised, Dr. Isaac should explain how the funds would be expended within the next two months.
Indiscreet spending would lead to corruption. The State was losing Central allocation owing to the laxity in furnishing the expenditure details. These were the primary responsibilities of the Finance Minister. Instead of discharging his duties, Dr. Isaac was trying to educate Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, he said.
Dr. Isaac should apologise to the people for running a false campaign against the Centre for the past two months. Though aware of the gains of the economic reforms, Dr. Isaac was trying to spread canards against the Centre, he said.
Union Power Minister Pyush Goyal’s offer to provide power at affordable tariff to the State was proof of its approach to Kerala. The State government should not reject the offer in the name of its opposition to the BJP, he said.
Mr. Ramesh alleged that the State was facing an administrative stalemate since Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was supporting officers of his choice. Instead of adopting a dispassionate stance to redress grievances, he was functioning in a partisan manner, Mr. Ramesh said.
Social and cultural leaders should not voice their opinions in a partisan manner. People reserve the right to criticise such opinions. There was no meaning in turning intolerant to such criticism, he said.
