Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who also holds the Finance portfolio, tabled the White Paper on the state’s financial condition in the Assembly on Thursday amid strong protests from the Opposition LDF, which alleged that the document was prepared in violation of constitutional and legal norms.
Former Finance Minister K N Balagopal objected to the tabling of the report, arguing that it had been prepared by persons outside the government and that internal financial information should not have been shared with them.
He contended that the exercise amounted to a violation of the oath of office, the Official Secrets Act and the Constitution.
Balagopal further claimed that all previous White Papers had been prepared by the Finance Department and described the latest report as a political document.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan echoed the concerns, saying it was “surprising” and a matter of serious concern that the White Paper had not been prepared directly by the Finance Department.
He clarified that the Opposition was not against the government seeking expert advice, but maintained that White Papers had traditionally been prepared by the department itself.
Responding to the allegations, Satheesan said the claims were baseless and asserted that no confidential government documents or official secrets had been shared with any private individual.
The Chief Minister said the report had been prepared under the “supervision and leadership” of the Finance Department and was based entirely on documents already in the public domain, including Budget papers.
“It was approved by the Cabinet and it is not a political document. It can be placed in the House with the Speaker’s permission and the objections against it can be considered after that. That is the usual practice,” he said.
Satheesan also questioned how the Opposition could describe the report as political or claim it violated laws and constitutional provisions without having seen or read it.
“It is a status report on the financial health of the state. It is being brought out to inform the public about the economic condition of Kerala,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the document would dispel several “myths” regarding the state’s finances and reiterated that his government would continue to seek expert advice whenever necessary.
“We do not believe that we know everything,” he said, adding that the government would not follow the policies of the previous administration.
“The UDF was not voted to power to continue your policies. You were defeated because the people did not like them,” Satheesan told the Opposition benches.
After hearing both sides, Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan ruled that there was no procedural violation in placing the document before the House.
“The chair does not find any violation of the rules in the tabling of the White Paper. It has become a part of the Assembly records,” he said.
A White Paper is generally issued by a government or public authority to provide a detailed assessment of a specific issue, crisis or situation, often backed by data and intended to guide future policy decisions.
Soon after assuming office, Satheesan had announced that his government would publish a White Paper on Kerala’s finances. The move followed sustained criticism by the UDF of the previous LDF government, which it accused of leaving the state’s finances in disarray.
Following a meeting of senior Finance Department officials chaired by the Chief Minister in May, the government constituted a special committee to prepare the report.
The committee is headed by former Cabinet Secretary Dr K M Chandrasekhar. Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) K R Jyothilal serves as the convener, while economist Dr Narayanan and Centre for Development Studies Director Dr Veeramani are the other members.
