Kochi: A verbal clash unfolded on Saturday between Kerala's left-front government and the opposition Congress, centered around the state's dire financial situation. The opposition pointed to mismanagement and excessive spending by administrators as the causes, while the LDF regime accused the Congress of not cooperating in pressuring the Central government to secure the necessary funds for the state.

Earlier, the Congress dismissed Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal's accusation that UDF MPs had not presented a memorandum to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman outlining the state's demands. The Congress stated that they were not invited for this purpose. Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, VD Satheesan, asserted that there was no reason for UDF MPs to submit a memorandum without proper invitation. He deemed the Finance Minister's claim that the UDF MPs' non-cooperation caused the financial crisis as unusual.

In response, Finance Minister Balagopal refuted Satheesan's assertions, reiterating that UDF MPs had not collaborated in bringing the state's concerns to the Centre. He clarified that during a recent MPs' conference chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, it was decided that MPs would highlight the Centre's negligence in financial matters concerning the state. Balagopal mentioned that despite preparing a detailed note for submission, none of the Congress-led UDF MPs agreed to sign or accompany the state delegation. He criticized the UDF for misleading by alleging that their MPs were not invited to meet the Union Finance Minister.

The opposition's backtrack on their earlier decision to stand united for the release of deserved state funds was condemned by the Finance Minister as "painful" and "condemnable." Balagopal also criticized the LoP for not criticizing the Centre's role in the state's financial crisis. In response, Satheesan labeled Balagopal's charges of non-cooperation as an attempt to deflect his own incompetence. He emphasized the need to clarify why the Centre was withholding funds from the state.

Satheesan stated that the current fiscal crisis stemmed from the state government's mismanagement and failure to collect taxes. He accused the state of not adapting its tax collection system when GST was introduced, resulting in low tax revenue. He further criticized the government for indiscriminate borrowing and mismanagement during the first Pinarayi Vijayan government's tenure, attributing the current financial crisis to these factors. He accused Balagopal of being unaware of how to address the situation.

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