Thiruvananthapuram, July 2: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly on Wednesday after accusing Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan of misleading the House over the reduction in plan fund allocations for local self-government institutions.
The protest came after the Speaker rejected an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition, leading to heated exchanges inside the Assembly.
LDF Raises Plan Fund Cut Issue
The issue began when CPI MLA G.R. Anil moved an adjournment motion, claiming that the reduction in plan funds had severely affected the functioning of local bodies across Kerala.
He urged the government to explain the reasons behind the fund cuts and address the concerns of local self-government institutions.
Chief Minister Defends Government
Replying to the discussion, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said the government had already informed the Assembly that it had reduced plan fund allocations by ₹1,533.55 crore due to the state’s financial situation.
He said the government had no option but to make the cuts because of financial constraints.
CM Blames Previous Government
The Chief Minister also blamed the previous LDF government for the current financial challenges.
According to him, the previous administration included projects worth nearly ₹35,000 crore in the budget even though it knew that only around ₹20,000 crore would be available. He said this forced the present government to reduce allocations across several departments.
Opposition Walks Out
After hearing the Chief Minister’s reply, the Speaker rejected the adjournment motion.
The decision prompted LDF members to walk out of the Assembly in protest. Opposition leaders accused the Chief Minister of giving misleading information and failing to address the real concerns over the reduction in plan funds.
The issue is expected to remain a key point of political debate as both the government and the Opposition continue to blame each other for Kerala’s financial situation.