All-party team led by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan unhappy with Modi meet
At the meet, PM Modi reportedly handed over a list of projects in Kerala to CM Vijayan saying that these would not be getting the “Centre’s financial assistance”, said members of the delegation.
An all-party delegation led by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to press for the Centre’s help on a host of matters, but according to those in the meeting, it ended up in political bickering.
At the meet, the PM reportedly handed over a list of projects in Kerala to Vijayan saying that these would not be getting the “Centre’s financial assistance”, said members of the delegation. They said the nature of the projects was not shared by Vijayan.
The delegation comprised, Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the Kerala assembly Ramesh Chennithala and Kerala BJP general secretary AN Radhakrishnan, among others.
Its demands included raising the allocation of food grains to the state for use under the public distribution system. The state’s quota was drastically cut after the implementation of the food security act. Another demand was the start of the new railway coach factory in Kerala that was announced in the Union budget in 2008-09. The delegation also wanted the PM to send a team to Kerala to evaluate the losses in the recent monsoon floods and provide compensation. Both Vijayan and Chennithala said it was a “disappointing meeting.”
“The demands we raised didn’t get a favourable response except on the issue of the flood relief,” Vijayan said.
“It was totally disappointing. Even for the most pressing needs ... the PM was far from being compassionate”, said Chennithala.
He said the delegation was surprised to see Modi handing over the “list of projects to the CM as it amounts to nothing but playing politics.”
Radhakrishan however, said,“The PM said the food security act applies to all states. Every state is same to him. He cannot do special favour to one state. But Modi said he would look into the demands made by each state in general.” The only Union minister from the state, KJ Alphons, was not part of the delegation. “I am the only minister at the Centre from the state. Nobody has invited me,” he said.
