Thiruvananthapuram, June 4 (IANS) Kerala BJP has blamed both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) for pushing the state into a severe financial crisis, alleging that successive governments have failed to address structural issues in the state’s economy despite repeatedly bringing out White Papers on the fiscal situation.

BJP state president and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the economic weakness of Kerala was the result of a decade of financial mismanagement under the LDF government and the failure of both fronts to provide long-term solutions.

“The issue is not merely that Kerala’s financial position is weak. The present situation can affect the state’s future. Everyone needs to understand the consequences of 10 years of economic mismanagement,” he said.

BJP Legislature Party leader B.B. Gopakumar said it had become routine for every government to publish a White Paper after coming to power, claiming that the state’s finances were in crisis, while the opposition rejected those findings.

“Since the formation of Kerala, the state has been ruled alternately by these two fronts. Every five years, one side brings out a White Paper and the other side says it is wrong. The only point on which both agree is that the government does not have enough money,” he said.

Gopakumar questioned the government’s explanation that a major share of revenue was being spent on salaries, pensions and interest payments.

“If 90 per cent of revenue goes towards committed expenditure, only 10 per cent remains for development activities,” he said, asking how projects announced in policy statements could be implemented with such limited resources.

He also demanded that the government disclose the state’s total public debt after including KIIFB liabilities.

“The Chief Minister has said Kerala has the highest public debt among Indian states. Who is responsible for this situation?” Gopakumar asked, adding that both the LDF and UDF should answer for the fiscal crisis.

The BJP leaders also criticised the political debate over the White Paper, saying the focus should be on the facts rather than on whether the document was a political statement.

Referring to budget allocations, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said capital investment had declined over the years, pointing out that investment during the previous UDF government was around 1.48 per cent and had now fallen to 1.30 per cent.

“Both fronts are similar when it comes to economic mismanagement,” he said, alleging that the state’s fiscal challenges were the outcome of prolonged policy failures rather than external factors.

–IANS

sg/pgh