Two days after sparking a controversy over his statement, asking Kerala to ‘declare itself backward’ if it wanted Central funds, Union Minister of State for Fisheries and Minority Affairs George Kurian said on Tuesday that Kerala survives only with the assistance of the Centre and that there is not a single project the state can claim as its own.
Speaking to a Malayalam news channel, George Kurian on Tuesday said it is a common refrain that Kerala is being ignored and it is his duty to destroy this false narrative that PM Modi is giving nothing to the state.
He alleged that both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic (UDF) come together to accuse the Union government neglecting the state as part of their strategy to hide their own failures.
The Union Minister said he did no somersault on his earlier statement; he stands by his earlier statement and that his position is that “If there is a backward situation in the state, the Finance Commission should be approached. That is what he meant. There is no need to be complacent,” he said
George Kurian waded into controversy on Sunday after asking Kerala to ‘declare itself backward’ if it wanted Central funds.
“You announce that Kerala is backward, that it does not have roads, good education, etc. If you say that Kerala is behind other states in terms of education, infrastructure, and social welfare, then the (Finance) Commission will examine it and give a report to the central government. The central government will take a decision based on the report. It does not decide on its own,” George Kurian said on Sunday.
He made the remarks while reacting to criticism by ruling LDF and opposition UDF against the Union budget for “neglecting” Kerala’s demands.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan demanded an apology from Kurian for ‘insulting’ the state. “The Union Minister should apologise to the state,” Satheesan said.
CPI-M state secretary M V Govindan said the minister’s statement was a reflection of the BJP’s intention to see Kerala as backward and poor.
The Union Minister further said that there is no project in Kerala which the state can claim as its own. For which development work is Kerala finding money on its own,” he asked.
“The Centre has given Kerala more priority than other states. Vizhinjam sea port project moved only after Modi came,” he said.
He alleged that the Kerala government was giving monthly salaries to its employees after diverting central allocated funds. “It is money to be used for development, diverting fund is not a good practice,” he said.