Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac on Friday told the Assembly that the State’s public debt was well within the limit prescribed by the 12th Finance Commission.
Rounding up the discussion and voting on the vote-on-account for the first four months of the financial year 2019-20, Dr. Isaac said the Opposition’s propaganda that Kerala was deep in debt was hurting the State’s developmental aspirations.
Kerala’s public debt was well within the 30% limit. Its revenue had increased since the Left Democratic Front took the reins of power.
The 2019-20 State Budget was pro-lower middle class and poor. A secular unity of purpose for public good was the need of the hour for implementing the myriad social welfare and developmental schemes envisaged in the budget.
Charge agains BJP
Dr. Isaac accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of destroying the secular unity of the lower middle class and the poor by attempting to divide them on caste and community lines.
The Congress has played second fiddle to the BJP, which has cynically used issues relating to religion and faith to drive a wedge in society.
The Congress and the BJP had attempted to destroy the very unity that saw Kerala raise as one to rush aid to citizens marooned when floodwaters rose across the State in August last.
He also announced an international yoga centre at Aralam Farm in Kannur.
Heated discussions
The discussion had its heated moments when the ruling front rose up in protest against comment on gender rights and menstruation by IUML legislator P. Ubaidullah. Aisha Potty of the CPI(M) took strong exception to the comment and said it smacked of misogyny. She requested B. Satyan, who was on the chair of the Speaker, to remove the "objectionable" observation from the Assembly records.
Actor and legislator Mukesh had his moment when he said that it required CPI(M) workers to rescue actor Salim Kumar, a Congress activist, when the floodwaters rose around his home in Thrissur last August.