Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday said the Union Budget had dashed the hopes of Kerala.
The IIT and AIIMS promised for the State had failed to materialise.
The State government had identified land for both the projects, an official press note quoting the Chief Minister said.
Hailing the proposals to accord university status for NISH and allocate funds for Kochi Metro and start-up projects, he said these would fail to match the State’s expectations.
“While corporate tax has been slashed, the budget did not raise the limit of income tax exemption. The budget has no proposal to arrest the sliding price of rubber or promote the export of spices and farm products. The hopes of getting Sabarimala declared as a national pilgrim centre have also been belied,” he said.
V.S. Achuthanandan
Terming the budget as corporate-friendly and anti-people, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan said it was a big disappointment for the people of Kerala. “By slashing corporate tax and taxing public services, the budget seeks to help corporates at the expense of the common man.”
He said the Centre had hoodwinked the State by ignoring the long-standing demands to set up an IIT and AIIMS in Kerala and enhance the import duty on rubber.
P.K. Kunhalikutty
Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty said the budget was disappointing. He said it had failed to match the expectations of Kerala. The State, he said, would try to derive the maximum benefit out of the proposals to promote start-ups and small industries.
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
CPI(M) Sate secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the budget had failed to reflect the aspirations of the common man and that of the State.
Kerala, he said, had been completely ignored. Funds had not been allocated for the survival of the central public sector units in Kerala. “It is unfair on the part of the Central government to ignore Kerala’s long-pending demand to set up an AIIMS and IIT.” r. Balakrishnan said the budget was part of the Union government's policy of choking Kerala’s economy by lowering the import duty on cash crops to trigger a price decline.
Uzhavoor Vijayan
NCP State president Uzhavoor Vijayan said the budget had failed the common man while protecting the interests of corporates.
It has failed to match State’s expectations: CM
Centre has hoodwinked the State: VS
