Centre Cutting Welfare Funds, Handing Resources to Corporates: M V Govindan

Kasargod: The CPI(M) State Secretary M V Govindan has alleged that the central government is nurturing corporate monopolies while ruthlessly squeezing the poor. Under the pretext of fiscal discipline, the Centre is adopting a policy that suppresses ordinary people, he said while speaking to the media in Kasargod as part of the LDF Vikasana Jatha (Development Advancement March).

He stated that the Centre is systematically stripping away benefits meant for the common people and diverting funds as concessions to big industrialists. All major reliefs are being extended to corporates, while the budget amounts to a blatant attack on farmers and workers. Allocations for women-centric schemes have been slashed by 51,144 crore rupees. Funds for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, health, education, and social welfare sectors have also seen severe cuts. Although the employment guarantee scheme requires 1.51 lakh crore rupees, the budget has earmarked only 30,000 crore rupees, which he termed a direct challenge to ordinary citizens.

Govindan pointed out that even while the budget itself acknowledges the need for 1.51 lakh crore rupees for Rural employment guarentee scheme, the meagre allocation exposes the Centre’s apathy. The budget offers no measures to tackle inflation or unemployment. He further alleged that the Centre is moving forward by completely surrendering to Donald Trump, with no steps proposed to counter tariff hikes imposed by the US or to protect India’s exports.

He accused the Sangh Parivar of waging an economic war against Kerala. While Uttar Pradesh receives 17.62 percent of the tax share, Kerala gets only 2.38 percent. For every 100 rupees collected as tax from Kerala, only 21 rupees is returned, he said.

Key demands such as an AIIMS, semi high-speed rail corridor, and financial assistance for the Wayanad disaster have been ignored in the budget. Govindan asserted that the BJP’s move to hand over Kerala’s mineral resources to private corporates would not be allowed. He also criticised the UDF for refusing to even verbally oppose the Centre, accusing it of indirectly aiding the BJP.

He further alleged large-scale manipulation in the voter's list prepared by the Election Commission of India under the guise of SIR. The removal of 24 lakh voters, he said, is part of a conspiracy to implement the National Register of Citizens through indirect means. Protests against this will be held today under LDF leadership, with mass marches to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Thiruvananthapuram and to district election offices across the state.