Kerala Criticizes Centre Over Foreign Funding Disparity
The Kerala government criticized the Centre for allowing Maharashtra to accept foreign contributions for its Chief Minister's Relief Fund, highlighting what it deems a violation of federal principles. Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal pointed out past denials to his state during crises, suggesting political bias in federal decisions.
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On Sunday, the CPI(M)-led Kerala government launched a strong criticism against the central government for authorizing Maharashtra to receive foreign funding for its Chief Minister's Relief Fund, accusing it of inconsistent treatment among states and undermining federal principles.
Finance Minister K N Balagopal of Kerala spotlighted the centre's refusal to extend similar permissions to Kerala during the 2018 floods, despite numerous overseas offers of aid. He emphasized that political considerations seem to overshadow disaster response decisions at the central level, which he deemed inappropriate for a federal administrator.
Balagopal's remarks followed reports confirming that Maharashtra's Relief Fund had been licensed under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, a crucial statute for receiving international funding. He attributed this preferential treatment to Maharashtra's alignment with the ruling party at the Centre, calling for equitable federal policies to maintain healthy state-federal relations.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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