Isaac: Budget will take State backward

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac has termed the revised budget for the current year presented by Finance Minister K M Mani in the Assembly on Friday as an orthodox one which takes the state five years backward.Isaac, while talking to mediapersons here on Friday, asked Mani why didn’t he publish a white paper on the state’s financial status as he had promised while taking over as minister? Isaac termed the budget as one that catered to Kottayam and Malappuram districts only. Even Congress MLAs have grievances against the budget as there are regional imbalances, he said.On the allegation that the LDF Government had left behind a liability of Rs 1,184 crore, he said that the amount was to be paid to contractors once the ongoing construction works were completed.Mani’s claims on reducing the debts were a farce. He could bring down the debt by only Rs 50 crore. During the tenure of the LDF Government, the debt had come down by four points, Isaac said.The additional revenue calculated in the budget is by way of Central assistance which the State Government hopes to get, he said.