Kerala Assembly session from Jan 8, Budget on Jan 15: Government

Thiruvananthapuram:The state Budget for 2021-22 will be presented in the Assembly on January 15, the Kerala government announced after a Cabinet meeting here on Friday. The Budget Session will begin on January 8.

The Budget session -- the last one for the Pinarayi Vijayan government and the current Assembly as state elections are scheduled in May -- is likely to see much firework as the opposition will try to put the LDF government on the back foot on several issues.

With Finance Minister Thomas Issac presenting his last Budget in this Assembly's term, expectations abound regarding new proposals and projects that the government has proclaimed its support for in the past.

Coming only months ahead of the Assembly polls, the Budget is expected to reveal the LDF government's people-friendly schemes and various welfare projects and sops.

Sparks are likely to fly during the session as the opposition will certainly rake up various issues to corner the government, including gold smuggling case in which the Chief Minister's then Principal Secretary M Sivasankar is one of the accused.

Vijayan's Additional Private Secretary CM Raveendran too has been called for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate, which will provide additional ammunition to the opposition.

Controversies bedevilling the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Board are also likely to be discussed threadbare in this session.

On the other hand, the treasury benches will be gung-ho after the convincing victory of the Left Democratic Front in the recent local body polls in Kerala.

Induction of young faces and women as heads of local bodies at several places has given the ruling CPI-M a foothold among the youth, women and the middle class. These developments will certainly add to the government confidence to take on the opposition in the Assembly.