As Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes one year in office in his second term, Kerala has nothing to cheer about, be it for the economy, industry or farmers.
No flagship programme has been announced for the State in the past one year even when the government was facing economic headwinds much before the COVID-19 pandemic. The State government’s demand to release the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation arrears and annual borrowing limit seems to have been met only for the sake of it.
“However, the Centre has been helping the State financially to tide over the grave fiscal deficit,” BJP State general secretary M.T. Ramesh said.
The nationwide launch of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) and monthly pension to farmers, farm workers, shopkeepers and labourers in the unorganised sector have benefited only a section of the people.
Specific projects may not have taken off in the past 12 months except for the spillover projects of previous Modi government on the development of national highways and doubling and electrification of rail lines and the expansion of Kochi Metro. “But the State should judiciously utilise the funds provided by the Centre,” Malabar Development Council (MDC) president C.E. Chakkunny said.
At the same time, Kerala witnessed a massive political resistance when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance pushed its political agenda by passing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December.
The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A for Jammu and Kashmir, the passage of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill that banned instant triple talaq among Muslims, pronouncement of Ayodhya verdict and expediting the construction of Ram Temple during this period triggered stiff political resistance in the State. However, the COVID-19-induced lockdown put a brake on the momentum and finally the protests lost its sheen by mid-March.
Despite the love-hate relationship between the Centre and the State government, both have been working in tandem to contain the COVID-19 spread.
According to Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan, the Centre has been helping the citizens of the State through the Vande Bharat Mission flights and the starting of special trains respectively to bring stranded Non-Resident Keralites home. Kerala has been given utmost priority in the different phases of the Vande Bharat Mission.
