Railway, Union Budgets offered little to Kerala: NCP

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 1 (UNI) Terming the Railway and Union Budgets for 2007-08 as ''disappointing,'' Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today alleged Kerala had not received its due share in both.

Talking to mediapersons here, NCP state president K Muraleedharan alleged that the Centre neglected the state and Finance Minister P Chidambaram was trying to implement his agenda with certain ''magic declarations'' to please the agricultural community.

Though three ministers, and one Minister of state represented kerala in Union cabinet, they miserably failed to project the state's interests and demands, he said.

The decision to reduce import duty on edible oil would adversely affect the coconut farmers in the state, he alleged.

Ministers from Tamil Nadu were trying to get maximum schemes and benefits for their state, he said and added funds had been allotted for the proposed Salem Railway Division, despite the assurance from the Railway Minister that steps in this regard would be taken only after a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

He said if the situation continued, the state would lose the proposed Vizhinjam project and Tamil Nadu would get a similar project in Colachal.

Mr Muraleedharan alleged that the ''wrong polices and inefficiency'' of the UPA government would pave the way for the BJP to regain power at the Centre and the recent elections results in Punjab and Uttarkhand were the indicators.

UNI