Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 5 (NationPress) Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for MSME, Labour and Employment and the BJP’s co-incharge for the Kerala Assembly elections, accused the Kerala government on Thursday of failing to utilize three medical colleges allocated to the state while demanding an AIIMS. These include two colleges in Wayanad, one in Kasaragod, and an ESI medical college in Kollam.

As part of a nationwide outreach to explain the Union Budget, Karandlaje criticized the Kerala government for its lack of cooperation with Central schemes.

She urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to prioritize development rather than engage in political theatrics.

Karandlaje claimed that both political parties in Kerala were misleading the public regarding the Union Budget.

She stated that the precise allocation of schemes for states would be clarified over the coming months following discussions in Parliament’s standing committees, which include MPs from various parties in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

A comprehensive overview of Kerala’s entitlements and the relevant schemes will only be available when the final proposals are presented to Parliament by the end of March.

“No state is explicitly named in the Budget. Projects are first approved for states that provide land,” she noted, highlighting that Kerala had received ₹26,500 crore this year through various schemes.

According to her, Kerala’s allocation increased from ₹27,382 crore in the 2025–26 Budget to ₹36,355 crore this year.

The Centre also raised its loan allocation to the state to ₹21,077 crore, marking a 23 percent rise compared to last year.

Despite these figures, she asserted that Kerala continues to allege neglect by the Centre.

Addressing the agricultural sector, Karandlaje noted that Kerala has coconut cultivation spanning 7.76 lakh acres, and the Budget introduces significant schemes and financial support aimed at high-density, high-yield coconut farming.

The initiative includes replacing low-yield coconut trees with more productive varieties.

She mentioned that 10,000 individuals in Kerala would receive training in the health sector as part of a nationwide initiative to train one lakh people.

The Centre is also set to enhance food processing infrastructure and has pledged marketing support for agricultural products.

She emphasized that the Budget leverages Kerala’s strengths in agriculture, fisheries, dairy, tourism, and healthcare, urging the state government to collaborate.

According to her, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has guaranteed direct benefit transfers without intermediaries, pointing out that ₹48.67 lakh crore has been directly transferred to beneficiaries’ bank accounts over the past decade.

This marks a significant change from previous times when only a portion of government aid reached those in need.

Karandlaje further explained that Kerala has greatly benefited from tax devolution and encouraged comparisons between current allocations and those from a decade ago.

Under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), ₹13,356 crore has been allocated to beneficiaries in Kerala’s micro and small industries sector.

She also confirmed that ongoing national highway, rail, port, and airport development projects from earlier Budgets will continue until their completion.