KL This Week: LDF to Protest Centre’s ‘Anti-Kerala’ Stance

NewsClick brings important developments across Kerala during the week, including the conclusion of the seven-day festival Keraleeyam, organised as part of the formation of linguistic states and the LDF protest against the Centre’s “anti-Kerala” attitude in New Delhi in January 2024.

Besides, Kerala has completed the social audit of MNREGA scheme and the Transformers and Electricals Kerala (TELK) has received its highest-ever order of Rs 289 crore.  

KERALEEYAM FESTIVAL CONCLUDES

The week-long Keraleeyam celebrations, with the tagline ‘Kerala-Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ concluded in Thiruvananthapuram on November 7.

Held in 30 venues across the Capital, the festival included seminars, a film festival, exhibitions, a trade fair, business-to-business meets and cultural programmes. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the festival would be held in the future too. 

Around 140 films, including classic, popular, children’s and women’s movies, and documentaries were screened in four different venues. People queued up for tickets and even sat on the floor to watch the movies. 

The cultural and food festivals, including street food, were jampacked on all days. The seminars included the state’s important achievements in land reforms, food security, economy, information technology, industry, cooperatives, in the pandemic, local self-government, pluralism and multiculturalism. 

Opposition United Democratic Front and BJP boycotted the festival.

LDF CRITICISES DENIAL OF CENTRAL FUNDS

The LDF, led by Vijayan, the council of ministers and MLAs, will protest the Centre’s attitude towards Kerala in Delhi in January. At a press meet held on November 10, LDF convener EP Jayarajan accused the Union government of blocking the state’s development by imposing financial sanctions. 

The LDF has alleged that the Centre has restricted Kerala’s borrowing limit and reduced financial allocation, leading to a revenue loss of about Rs 57,000 crore.

After share of revenue to several state governments, Kerala received only 18% while Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal got received 35.7% and 49.4% respectively.

Despite the restrictions, the LDF government has announced to carry forward welfare measures, including pensions and spending on public infrastructure.

KERALA COMPLETES SOCIAL AUDIT OF MNREGA

Kerala has once again become the first state to complete the social audit of the MNREGA scheme. As per the Union rural development ministry, Kerala completed 99.5% of the audit during the first six months of the 2023-24 financial year. 

The remaining four panchayats in Kozhikode and one panchayat in Idukki will be completed within a week.

Odisha is at a distant second with 64.8% while Bihar is third with 62.6% completion of the audit. 

TELK RECEIVES HIGHEST-EVER ORDER

In another major achievement for the public sector, TELK has received an order from a Hyderabad-based organisation for Rs 289 crore to manufacture 38 transformers for private entity Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited for implementing the Intrastate Transmission Package in Madhya Pradesh. 

With orders worth Rs 353 crore pending, the total value of the TELK orders is Rs 642 crore. According to the company’s press release, it won the order despite strong competition from international and domestic competitors. 

TELK, which is making steady progress in repairing transformers for companies like the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and NLC India Limited among other private and public entities, had received Rs 40 crore from the government as guarantee for availing loans from banks to generate working capital. 

WORKERS PROTEST FROM NOVEMBER 26

A joint state convention of workers, farmers and agricultural workers will start a three-day protest in front of the Kerala Raj Bhavan from November 26. The decision was announced during the convention, organised by CITU, AIKS and AIAWU in Thiruvananthapuram. 

The protest, against the Centre’s anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies, will be held in all other 13 districts on November 28.