Thiruvananthapuram, June 13 (IANS) Kerala’s political circles are abuzz with speculation over Chief Minister and Finance Minister V.D. Satheesan’s low public visibility in recent days, with all eyes on his forthcoming maiden state budget to be presented on June 19.

The budget is going to be an exercise that is likely to set the tone for the new government and test Satheesan’s transition from a vocal critic of the Pinarayi Vijayan government to a policymaker.

In the run-up to the budget, Satheesan, who has rarely been seen at the Secretariat in the past few days, has been shuttling between his official residence, Cantonment House, and the scenic Kovalam Guest House, where he is said to be holding closed-door discussions with a select team of advisers.

At the core of these discussions is Kerala’s strained financial position. Assisting him is senior bureaucrat and his secretary Rathan U. Khelkar, known for his expertise in taxation and state finances. The budget is likely to focus on identifying new revenue streams without adding to the burden on a population already grappling with rising costs.

The focus is expected to be on finding new revenue sources without putting further pressure on a public already battling rising costs.

Interestingly, Satheesan finds himself in a situation reminiscent of veteran Communist leader V.S. Achuthanandan, who also occupied the Chief Minister’s chair without holding a ministerial portfolio.

Despite being a legislator for nearly 25 years, Satheesan’s administrative experience has largely come from the opposition benches. But those years may now prove to be his biggest asset.

From 2006 to 2011 and again from 2016 to 2026, Satheesan was one of the most aggressive voices questioning Left governments on financial management. He repeatedly took on former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and later K.N. Balagopal, dissecting their budgets and raising questions on debt, expenditure and revenue.

Now, the same questions are coming back to him.

The White Paper released on May 29, which pointed to Kerala’s public debt crossing the Rs 5 lakh crore mark, has narrowed his options. The challenge before Satheesan is not merely to present a budget, but to convince ordinary people that it will bring relief.

Will the fuel cess imposed earlier be withdrawn, bringing down petrol and diesel prices? Will government employees get relief through payment of long-pending DA arrears? After women start receiving the benefit of free travel on ordinary state-run buses from Monday, June 15, will the government announce more schemes targeting them?

There are also expectations from the youth struggling with employment concerns and from Kerala’s ageing population looking for stronger social security support.

Whatever Satheesan announces will come under intense attack from the Left opposition, the same way Satheesan himself questioned their budgets when he sat across the aisle.

The key question remains whether Satheesan, long known for critiquing government finances, can now deliver a budget that offers solutions rather than just arguments.

–IANS

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