Budget 2017: Kerala's disappointing wait for AIIMS, coach factory to continue
- No major investments in Kerala.
- Kerala's share in the central tax kitty is Rs. 16891.75 crores.
- Central government PSUs based in the state also got a raw deal
Follow
This time also the Union Budget disappointed Kerala by keeping silent on the establishment of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Rail Coach Factory in Palakkad.
Kerala was eagerly awaiting for the budget announcement of AIIMS in the state, as promised by the Centre years back. The state had also submitted a list of four locations identified for the institute way back in 2014, as directed by the Centre.
When Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Prime Minister ahead of the budget, he had raised the long pending demand for AIIMS. Much to its disappointment, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley didn't consider Kerala for AIIMs when he allowed the national institute to Gujarat and Jharkhand. The integrated budget also sidelined Kerala in the Railway sector as well, by ignoring it again by not allocating funds for the proposed Rail Coach Factory at Kanchikode, Palakkad.
Even though the budget proposes to allocate Rs.142.60 crores to the Kerala-based Rubber board, there is no proposal to ensure good price for natural rubber. Kochi Metro project and airports at Kannur and Kozhikode were also ignored in the budget while central government PSUs based in the state also got a raw deal. Except for Cochin Shipyard and Cochin Port, no major PSUs in the state got a booster in the budget.
Kerala's share in the central tax kitty is Rs. 16891.75 crores.
Proposed allocation in the budget:
Cochin Shipyard: Rs 507 crore
Cochin Port Trust: Rs. 47 crores
Rubber Board: Rs.142.60 crore
Coffee board: Rs. 140.10 crore
Spices Board: Rs. 82.10 crore
Cashew exports promotion council: Rs.4 crore
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Finance Minister Thomas Isaac criticised Union Budget. "Budget did not do justice to Kerala.
Not even a single suggestion presented by the state during the pre-budget consultations was considered in the budget," Vijayan said. Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala also termed the budget disappointing for the state.
