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The Hindu
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Kerala's internal revenue generation tipped to cross ₹1 lakh crore in 2025-26, says Finance Minister
Kerala's own revenue is projected to cross the ₹ 1 lakh crore-mark in 2025-26, signalling that State finances will continue in recovery mode despite severe challenges on the fiscal front, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal has said. Mr. Balagopal said the Finance department expected internal revenue generation, from both own tax and non-tax sources, to touch ₹1.05 lakh crore in the current fiscal. The estimated growth, he said, was the outcome of improved efficiency in tax collection enabled by a comprehensive overhaul of the Taxes department in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. Under the present Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front government, the State's own tax revenues (SOTR) had steadily improved from ₹47,661 crore in 2020-21 to ₹76,656 crore in 2024-25. Non-tax revenues grew from ₹7,327 crore to ₹16,568 crore during the same period. The government, Mr. Balagopal said, had succeeded in pulling up the State from a Central policies-induced 'nosedive' to a position where it was equipped for 'take-off' to the next phase. 'We have achieved this in a situation where Kerala was deprived of about ₹50,000 crore annually due to the shrinkage of borrowing space and discontinuation of the revenue deficit grant and GST compensation,' he said. Mr. Balagopal said there was continued scope for finetuning tax collection. On the Integrated GST (IGST) front, systemic issues in the mechanism of its settlement with all States had deprived Kerala of ₹956.16 crore. Kerala had taken up the matter with the Centre, Mr. Balagopal said. Mr. Balagopal said the State expected to allocate ₹600 crore this year towards the Guarantee Redemption Fund (GDR). The GDR was meant to cover government guarantees offered for loans availed by public sector entities and cooperatives. According to Kerala, the Centre had reduced the State's borrowing limit by a further ₹3,300 this year citing the GDR as a requirement. Mr. Balagopal also swept aside reports that the State's debt would touch ₹6 lakh crore this year-end. It would increase to about ₹4.7 lakh crore, but the State had been able to reverse the previous trend where debt doubled every five years. As part of the drive against tax evasion, the State GST department was planning action against traders/businesses who evaded taxation by deploying street vendors to sell their products, the Minister said. 'Such practices take unfair advantage of the benefits enjoyed by genuine street vendors,' he said. In May, the SGST department had busted an organised racket engaged in the manufacture and sale of spurious diesel, he said.
The Hindu
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Upputhara panchayat to initiate revenue recovery proceedings against 27
Upputhara grama panchayat in Idukki will initiate revenue recovery proceedings against 27 individuals to recover funds for fraudulently obtaining houses under the LIFE Mission scheme. An emergency panchayat meeting on Thursday decided to take the revenue recovery proceedings. Sources said ineligible people in Upputhara obtained LIFE Mission homes during the tenure of the last Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Communist Party of India (Marxist)) leader and Kattappana block panchayat president V.P. John and Congress Upputhara mandalam president V.S. Shal were among those who obtained houses illegally. 'Mr. John owned 1.5 acres while Mr. Shal sold the house obtained under the LIFE Mission scheme,' said an official. The Vigilance wing of the Local Self-Government department had found large-scale irregularities in the LIFE Mission housing scheme in the panchayat in 2022. It had also recommended recovery of ₹1.14 crore from individuals who illegally obtained homes. However, panchayat authorities had only issued a notice to those involved. Last week, the Vigilance wing sought an explanation from the panchayat on the recovery process, prompting the latter to hold an emergency meeting and initiate revenue recovery proceedings. Sources said the panchayat had prepared a list of 1,200 beneficiaries in 2018, of which 150 were later found ineligible. The Vigilance wing had found that ward members and officials supported the malpractice. Meanwhile, Upputhara panchayat president James Jacob said the panchayat committee had directed the secretary to initiate revenue recovery proceedings against 27 people. He said 722 homes had already been completed in the panchayat under the LIFE Mission scheme. Sources said the panchayat would request the Vigilance wing to investigate the eligibility of the 722 beneficiaries who had been handed over houses constructed under the scheme.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Space Park will enable Kerala to climb new heights: Pinarayi
The Space Park will enable Kerala to scale new heights in the field of space research and lead to benefits in the space industries sector, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Common Facility and R&D Centres of the Kerala Space Park. Mr. Vijayan also inaugurated the Kerala Aero expo 2025-a comprehensive showcase of India's space legacy, achievements and future missions at the function held at the Technocity Campus in Pallipuram on Thursday. He said that as part of these interventions, the State government is taking a new step in the field of space research under the name of K-Space. The activities of K-Space will be organised in such a way as to encourage new companies entering the field of space research and defence and also to work in conjunction with existing companies. 'The Kerala Space Park is an important intervention envisioned by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government to energise Kerala's space research sector. It is being established in Thiruvananthapuram, which has many institutions that can claim a great tradition in the field of space research. The Space Park is envisioned to be useful in making the products required by these institutions available on an industrial basis and in attracting investors working in the space and defence sector,' said The Space Park's subsidiary institutions will also be established in Kozhikode, Kochi and Kannur. The construction of buildings covering 2 lakh square feet on 3.5 acres of land for the Space Park will be completed in the first phase. An amount of ₹244 crore will be made available through NABARD for this purpose.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ignored for Nilambur campaign, Shashi Tharoor's message to Congress: 'Strong bond with party workers, some differences with leadership'
NEW DELHI: Will the outcome of the Nilambur byelection decide the future of ties between Congress and its Kerala leader Shashi Tharoor - that have remained frosty since January when the Thiruvananthapuram MP surprised his party with out-of-turn praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his foreign policies? Tharoor, who was kept away from party's campaign in Nilambur, on Thursday admitted to "differences with some in Congress leadership on some issues." This even as Tharoor asserted that the Congress, its values, and its workers were very dear to him as he had worked closely with party workers for 16 years and regarded them as close friends and brothers and sisters. Tharoor also reminded the party of the close relations he shares with party workers in Kerala that "saw him through in 4 elections in his own constituency of Thiruvananthapuram." Interestingly, Tharoor's candid admission came on the day people of Nilambur were voting to select their new MLA. The Congress, which is going all out to wrest power from the Left Democratic Front after two consecutive defeats in the state, had pitched the Nilambur byelection as a semi-final ahead of the assembly elections next year. Little wonder, the party's byelection campaign saw active involvement of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra - who is the MP from Wayanad after Rahul Gandhi opted for Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. So, will the byelection result on June 23 impact the relations between Congress and Tharoor? Well, it certainly can. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Stylish New Mobility Scooters Available for Seniors (Take a Look) Mobility Scooter | Search Ads Search Now Undo If the Congress wins the byelection without Tharoor, who has been an integral part of several party campaigns in the state, it may harden its stance further. On the other hand, if the Congress loses the byelection, it might increase the bargaining power of Tharoor vis-à-vis the state leadership. When Tharoor praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time in January, it evoked a very strong response from the Congress. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge warned all leaders to toe the party line. However, the Thiruvananthapuram MP continued with his "personal" praise of PM Modi's foreign policies, much to the embarrassment of the Congress. Post-Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor, the nationalist, raised his praise pitch completely moving away from the party line. The situation turned from bad to worse when the government picked Tharoor for its global diplomacy mission even as the Congress ignored and sidelined its leader. It will be interesting to see how Congress and Shashi Tharoor reach a truce in the near future given the recent strain in ties, which saw one Congress leader dub Tharoor as "super spokesperson of the BJP". The assembly elections in Kerala is scheduled for next year, but for the Congress the immediate challenge would perhaps be the upcoming Parliament session. The Congress and other opposition parties will surely go all out to corner Prime Minister Modi over the Pahalgam terror attack and US President Donald Trump's mediation claims on Operation Sindoor. It remains to be seen if Tharoor, who strongly defended the government during his global outreach post Sindoor, comes to the rescue of the government on the floor of the House. Already the BJP leaders are citing Tharoor to school the Congress on nationalism. Will Congress and Tharoor bury their differences or will they walk their own separate ways? Well, we may have an answer after the Nilambur results are out.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Nilambur Assembly bypoll: 59.68 pc voter turnout recorded till 3 pm
Nilambur (Kerala) [India], June 19 (ANI): The Nilambur Assembly Constituency in Kerala, where by-elections are underway, recorded an approximate voter turnout of 59.68 per cent by 3:00 pm on Thursday. The polling, conducted under tight security arrangements, is part of the AC-Bye Election 2025. Polling in Kerala's Nilambur started today 7 am. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded M Swaraj, the United Democratic Front (UDF) has fielded Aryadan Shoukath, while the BJP has fielded Adv. Mohan George is a candidate for the Nilambur Assembly constituency. United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Aryadan Shoukhath expressed confidence in a UDF victory for the constituency, saying that the state government has 'totally neglected Nilambur area,' with tribals not being rehabilitated and human-animal conflict increasing. Earlier, Kerala LoP and Congress MLA VD Satheesan also said that a UDF victory would mark the party's return to the state. Speaking to ANI, Satheesan said, 'This is a political contest, a direct fight between the UDF and the LDF. It is the semi-final leading up to the 2026 Assembly elections, and we are confident of winning by a significant margin. We see this as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi government accountable, a government that has been in power for the past nine years.' The bypoll has been necessitated after the resignation of Left Democratic Front independent legislator PV Anvar, who later joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) after his acrimonious break-up with the ruling alliance. (ANI)
