Kerala Finance Minister presents budget 2.0 of Vijayan government
Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal presented the first budget of the second term of the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
A post graduate in commerce and a masters in law, 57-year-old Balagopal is the first MLA to be given the finance portfolio by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
He had completed one term in the Upper House from 2010 to 16. In addition, he was in 2006 with the then Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan’s political secretary.
Balagopal said, the state is passing through its worst time due to covid and my budget will mainly be to address it and basically target development. It is a big responsibility and it is a challenge before me.
The highlight of this budget is that it is the first time that a politician has presented this budget after becoming a minister, as compared to the 10 years of Left rule (2006 to 11 and 2016 to 21). Earlier this was done by Minister Thomas Isaacs, who became a high profile economics professor.
Isaac’s exclusion from the list of CPI(M) candidates for the April 6 assembly elections was shocking. However, he won four consecutive terms as MLA of Alappuzha district, out of which he sat on the opposition benches (2001 to 06 and 2011 to 16).
