Union Minister and BJP leader George Kurian has sparked a fresh controversy in Kerala with comments suggesting that the state could receive a higher budgetary allocation if it were declared &ldquo;backward.&rdquo; This comes amid widespread criticism from both the ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress over what they perceive as an inadequate share for Kerala in the Union Budget for 2025&ndash;26.
Kurian, who serves as the Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, made his remarks hours after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget on Saturday. Speaking to the media, Kurian suggested that Kerala could be allocated more funds if it declared itself backward in terms of education, infrastructure, and social development.
&ldquo;Allotment is for backward states. If Kerala declares that it is educationally, socially, and infrastructure-wise backward, the Finance Commission will examine this and provide a report to the government,&rdquo; Kurian said.
The comments have drawn sharp reactions from Kerala&rsquo;s political leaders. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader VD Satheesan condemned the budget&rsquo;s lack of reference to Kerala, accusing the Union government of neglecting the state&rsquo;s development needs. Both leaders also rejected Kurian&rsquo;s suggestion, calling it an affront to Kerala&rsquo;s progress.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan demanded an apology from Kurian, accusing the BJP of trying to portray Kerala as impoverished.
&ldquo;BJP leaders in Kerala want to see it as an impoverished state. They failed to win over Kerala, and now they aim to reduce it to total poverty,&rdquo;&nbsp;Govindan stated.
Congress leader VD Satheesan also condemned Kurian&rsquo;s remarks, calling them an insult to the people of Kerala. &ldquo;The Union minister should retract his statement and apologize. His words reflect the anti-Kerala stance of the BJP and Sangh Parivar,&rdquo;&nbsp;Satheesan said, pointing out that the BJP and its affiliates have been undermining the state&rsquo;s achievements in education and healthcare.
The Kerala government has alleged that the Union Budget punishes the state for its success in key social indicators such as health, education, and population control. On the other hand, BJP state president K Surendran has defended Kurian, claiming that Kerala has failed to highlight its backwardness in several sectors before the Union government.

Union minister’s comments over Kerala’s budget allocation spark political outrage

'Declare Kerala Backward for More Funds'

Union minister’s comments over Kerala’s budget allocation spark political outrage

February 2, 2025 | 17:43 IST