The Hindu Business Line : Kerala's financial crisis

Faced with mounting financial difficulties `Kerala unveils harsh steps to overcome financial crisis' (Business Line, January 10). Other than the cost-cutting measures with respect to Ministers and top officers on tour, it may be possible to reduce expenditure on conveyance, phone calls, etc.

The Chief Minister Mr A. K. Antony has said that nothing will happen if the government offices do not work even for a month. It reflects on the working of the Government and the offices. In this context, the report `Kerala must focus more on productive investments' (Business Line, January 11) is relevant. While Kerala is lagging behind its neighbours in industrialisation, IT development, etc, some of its recent initiatives in this regard are welcome. However, the State has also to create proper atmosphere for the same.

And it has to chalk out a plan of action in defining priorities. Discipline in offices, increasing productivity, labour reforms, toning up revenue collections, discontinuing budgetary allocations to loss-making PSUs and finding solutions by handing them over to employees cooperatives and innovative methods of revenue collection could be thought of as the first steps. Some sort of awareness also needs to be created among the people to gain support for these policies.

A. Jacob Sahayam

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