Mr. Chairman, my topic is the need to provide greater financial assistance to the State of Kerala under the Union Budget. The Union Budget has proved a disappointment to many. But it is particularly disappointing that the Government has not adhered to the promises made to the State of Kerala.

          The Government promised to establish an All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Kerala. Despite the State Government submitting the final logistics, no financial allocation has been made for the upcoming financial year and no selection of allocation has been done. The Government has budgeted a paltry sum of Rs.190 crore towards setting up new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) including an IIT in Kerala. This amount is grossly insufficient to meet the infrastructure needs of these institutions. Despite its long-professed commitment to promoting Ayurveda and traditional medicine, the Government has not established a National Institute for Ayurveda or a National Institute for Medicinal Plants in Thiruvananthapuram, both of which have long been pending proposals. Additionally, promises to declare Sabarimala as a National Pilgrimage Centre, allocating resources for boosting tourism, establishing a corpus for rubber farmers and assistance for economically vulnerable migrants returning from Gulf countries have not been fulfilled. 

Sir, Kerala is supposed to be God’s own country. At the moment, human beings are suffering and in need. The Government of India must show justice to them. I, therefore, urge the Government to provide the required financial allocations to the State of Kerala and fulfil their commitments to the State. Thank you.