The State government on Friday announced a festival allowance of ₹1,000 for workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS) for Onam.
Scheme members who have completed 100 days of work will be eligible for the allowance, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said on Friday. The decision, Mr. Balagopal said, will benefit 4.6 lakh people. The State government has earmarked ₹46 crore for providing the allowance, he said.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, Mr. Balagopal pegged the requirement for meeting the Onam month expenses at ₹19,000 crore. The other day, the government announced a bonus of ₹4,000 as bonus for government employees, and a festival allowance of ₹2,750 for employees who are not entitled to a bonus.
‘Centre denying revenue’
Mr. Balagopal reiterated his complaint that the Centre was unfairly depriving the State of its rightful share of tax revenues, a situation which the people of Kerala should be aware of. ‘’You have heard of hands being tied. What if the fingers too are kept tied?’‘ he said, pointing out that the State’s eligible share from the tax pool is facing huge cuts. The State’s burden of meeting its revenue requirements has increased over the years — from 56.3% in 2020-21, 51% in 2021-22, 65% in 2022-23 to 71% in the current fiscal — with the dip in Central inputs.
Mr. Balagopal accused UDF MPs from the State of failing to fight for the State’s rightful share before the Centre. They neither signed the memorandum submitted to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman nor have they met her to press for the State’s share, Mr. Balagopal alleged. The UDF MPs have betrayed the State’s people, he alleged.
At the MPs conference convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the State’s financial situation was clearly explained to them. They had also agreed to take up the matter, Mr. Balagopal said.
The Finance Minister said the UDF and Congress leaderships should clarify their stand on the matter to the people of Kerala. The Congress leadership, in particular, had a responsibility to give an explanation as senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was one of the MPs from Kerala, Mr. Balagopal said.
