Pinarayi Vijayan accuses UDF-led Kerala govt of starving local bodies of Plan funds
Kerala Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the UDF-led government of deliberately withholding Plan funds from local self-government institutions. He claims this obstruction is disrupting essential welfare services for vulnerable populations and hindering local development projects.
Why it matters
This reflects the ongoing political friction in Kerala regarding fiscal federalism and the funding of local governance bodies.
Kerala Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the UDF-led State government of adopting “a negative and obstructionist approach” towards local self-government institutions (LSGIs) and “deliberately placing” shackles on them by withholding the Plan fund allocation due to them.
Inaugurating the LDF’s protest march from the Martyrs’ Column to the Secretariat on Thursday against the government slashing the Plan fund allocation for local body institutions, Mr. Vijayan warned that the march was just the beginning and that the LDF would organise mass protests if the government continued to squeeze the local bodies.
The previous LDF government’s final Budget allocated ₹11,189 crore for local bodies, out of which the UDF government’s revised Budget slashed ₹1,533.55 crore, bringing the total allocation down to ₹8,655.45 crore, he said.
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