MPs to raise in parl scaling down of Central investment

New Delhi: Cutting across party lines, MPs from Kerala, Sunday assured the state government that they would take up the matter of scaling down of Central investment in the state during the monsoon session of Parliament beginning from Monday.

Kerala Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar told reporters here that the meeting of the Members of the Parliament from Kerala, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan evoked a positive response from all parties.

"Investment by the Centre in state has gone down and we plan to raise this issue in the Parliament along with the change in the ratio policy of investment by the Centre. The earlier 20:80 ratio has been changed to 40:60, which is drastically affecting the state budget," he said.

"MPs from Kerala will also jointly take up the issue of Centre issuing in-principle nod to Colachel Port in Tamil Nadu," Kumar said.

The Chief Minister has also conveyed, in the conference, the decision to call an "evaluation meeting" of the states MPs before and after every session of the Parliament.

"Todays meeting turned out to be fruitful and evoked a very positive response from the MPs and we have decided to voice the concerns of the state together in the Parliament," state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters after the conference.

The meeting was attended by all the members of the Parliament from Kerala except Congress leaders K V Thomas, Vayalar Ravi and Indian Union Muslim League leader E Ahamed. Nominated members Suresh Gopi and Richard Hay were also not present at the meeting.

Sunil Kumar also said that after "prioritising" the issues of the state, the CM, concerned ministers and MPs will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The MPs conference which started at 11.30 am lasted till 3 pm and all the members expressed their suggestions ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament.

The meeting has also decided to ensure that the departmental secretaries follow up the development activities which has got the approval of the Union Government.

Former Defence minister and Rajya Sabha member A K Antony told the press that a consensus has been formed among the members of Parliament to raise the issues related to the people of the state during the session.

"Setting aside the political differences, we all have decided to stand by the state government and raise the issues related to the state and its people and have agreed to extend all sorts of help to the CM and the minsters in this regard," Antony said.