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Interviews | TM Thomas Isaac, Kerala Finance Minister and a trained economist, interviewed by AM Jigeesh (The Hindu Business Line)
TM Thomas Isaac, Kerala Finance Minister and a trained economist, interviewed by AM Jigeesh (The Hindu Business Line)

TM Thomas Isaac, Kerala Finance Minister and a trained economist, interviewed by AM Jigeesh (The Hindu Business Line)

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published Published on Apr 28, 2020   modified Modified on Apr 30, 2020

-The Hindu Business Line

In the thick of battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the CPI (M)-ruled Kerala government gathered Opposition parties on a virtual platform to chart out a common course on livelihood issues and the economic crisis that is simultaneously unfolding. Kerala Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac, a trained economist, told BusinessLine that India is facing an attack on economic federalism and there is urgent need for the States to combat the Centre’s increasing consolidation of fiscal power. Excerpts:

* What was the urgent need for the States to get together at this time?

Every State is fighting independently with the Central government on more or less the same issues. There is a lot of debate on the same issues in the academia as well. But they don’t put their heads together.

Therefore, the only voice we hear is that of the Central Government. There is a lot of arbitrariness in the Centre’s decision-making. This is dangerous. There is an urgent need for more consultations, especially with the States which are at the forefront of battling the pandemic.

But the GST council has not been called even once since this crisis began. We thought we should be a catalyst in taking this discourse further.

When we are faced with a complex problem, a linear, unilateral approach such as the one exhibited by the Centre, is not creative.

Opposition parties need to put their heads together and formulate a more nuanced and well-considered approach in addressing the twin issues of lives and livelihood, to address health concerns as well as the deep economic crisis that is staring at us.

We need creative solutions not clapping hands and burning lamps. The Budget is irrelevant now. We need an alternative approach.

The crisis had begun even before Covid-19 arrived and the only solution the Centre came up with was corporate tax concessions which the big business had not even asked for!

In the midst of this crisis, all they have come up with is a niggardly 15,000 crore for the States.

But they don’t think twice before doling out 50,000 crore to share markets to address the mutual fund crisis. And there is no concrete plan yet to address the larger economic crisis that has knocked the migrant workers and the poor further to the bottom. We want to make it clear that we have an alternative position and we wouldn’t accept this as fait accompli.

Please click here to read more.

Image Courtesy: The Hindu


The Hindu Business Line, 28 April, 2020, https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/fiscal-federalism-has-collapsed-centres-decisions-arbitrary/article31456483.ece#


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