Khan sticks to the script, avoids discordant note in guv’s address

Thiruvananthapuram: Citing the RBI and Niti Aayog reports, governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday said Kerala was relatively better off among states on innovation index, addressing environmental concerns and providing a wide social security net.
"I am happy to note that Kerala has achieved remarkable economic growth – 12% at constant prices and 17% at current prices," he said in his policy address, marking the beginning of the eighth session of the 15th legislative assembly.

"Kerala has been ranked at the forefront among states in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals consistently by the Niti Aayog. In the overall Public Affairs Index also, Kerala ranks at the forefront," Khan said.
After finding that there are 64,006 extremely poor families in the state, the government has begun chalking out micro plans for them with the help of Kudumbashree and local bodies. Nevertheless, the multidimensional poverty in the state is only 0.7%, which is the lowest in the country, he said.
The references against the Centre in the address were limited to financial restrictions imposed on states. "The states have heavy responsibilities in the social sectors and their fiscal position has to be strong. The recent measures to curtail the borrowing limits of states constrain the scope of their interventions in the health, education and infrastructural sectors. While fiscal discipline has to be enforced in right earnest, there cannot be different yardsticks for state governments, which are not made applicable to the Union government," it said.