Like Sunita Williams, Kerala will fight its challenges, says FM Balagopal

Balagopal criticised the Congress-led UDF Opposition, saying that their continuous protests against the borrowing through Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) had also influenced the Centre's decision to cut the borrowing limit of the state.

Thiruvananthapuram: Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Tuesday drew a parallel between Kerala and NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, stating that the southern state would strongly fight its challenges like hers and go ahead despite attempts by the Centre to financially strangulate it.

Speaking during the Question Hour in the Assembly, the minister said the slashing of the borrowing limit and the drastic deductions in the allocations by the Centre has caused an economic crunch in the state, but Kerala and the government are now on the path of a "take off".

Coordinated efforts by the state government and its inclusive financial management have helped the state to recover and perform in a remarkable way, he said.

Referring to the Centre's alleged apathetic attitude towards non-BJP ruled states, he said even states like Telangana, which was in a financially strong position, are now facing economic issues due to the union government's fiscal policy and its chief minister recently said they could not afford spending in capital expenditure anymore.

Despite how much the Centre has attempted to strangulate Kerala, the state is performing well, Balagopal claimed.

"Like Sunita Williams, who is now on her way back home amidst all the challenges, Kerala will also go ahead strongly despite attempts to destroy it," he said.

Balagopal also criticised the Congress-led UDF opposition, saying that their continuous protests against the borrowing through Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) had also influenced the Centre's decision to cut the borrowing limit of the state.

NASA's two stuck astronauts headed back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday to close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams bid farewell to the International Space Station — their home since last spring — departing aboard a SpaceX capsule alongside two other astronauts. The capsule undocked in the wee hours and aimed for a splashdown off the Florida coast by early evening, weather permitting.