Ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a crucial meeting with the state’s Members of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday, urging them to strongly advocate for the state’s key demands in the House. The Chief Minister expressed dissatisfaction over the Centre’s delay in disbursing disaster relief funds for the Wayanad landslide victims while also acknowledging the Centre’s initial leadership in mobilising resources during the crisis.

“It has been over 100 days since the Prime Minister visited Kerala, three months since the memorandum was submitted, and months since the central team assessed the situation. Despite assistance being extended to other states without formal requests, Kerala has not received a single rupee in special financial aid,” Vijayan said.

PUSH FOR SPECIAL FINANCIAL PACKAGE

Vijayan reiterated Kerala’s demand for a special financial package of Rs 24,000 crores, highlighting the state’s financial strain due to reduced central allocations and grants. He also called for an increase in the borrowing limit to 3.5 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).

“The 15th Finance Commission allocation for local bodies, arrears under the National Health Mission (NHM), and funds for UGC salary revisions remain pending. The Centre must act on these long-standing issues,” the Chief Minister emphasised.

KEY DEVELOPMENT DEMANDS

Vijayan also urged MPs to raise critical development concerns, including the long-standing demand for establishing an AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in Kerala and the need for enhanced railway infrastructure.

On aviation, he stressed the importance of granting Point of Call status to Kannur International Airport to maximise its benefits for passengers.

VIZHINJAM PROJECT CONCERNS

Chief Minister Vijayan brought attention to the financial challenges surrounding the Vizhinjam port project. The Centre had initially sanctioned Rs 817.80 crores as a viability gap fund but stipulated reimbursement through premium revenue sharing. “This condition could create a financial burden of up to Rs 12,000 crores for Kerala in the future,” Vijayan said. He argued that such repayment provisions were not imposed on other states and demanded that the viability gap fund for Vizhinjam be granted without repayment obligations.

Vijayan emphasised the need for Kerala’s MPs to work collectively across party lines to ensure the state’s pressing concerns are addressed during the upcoming parliamentary session. “The Centre’s indifference towards Kerala’s genuine needs must be challenged robustly,” he concluded.

The Winter Session of Parliament is expected to begin soon.