States need funds
The report, Centre has not stopped any funds to States, (The Hindu, Inside pages, May 5, 2020), had a statement from government of India officials rebutting the facts in a report the previous day – a byline news item, by N.J. Nair, headlined, Scramble for funds as Centre tightens purse strings (The Hindu, Inside pages, May 4). The report by Mr. Nair had portrayed a grim picture of Kerala’s finances in the time of COVID-19.
It is true that the central government has transferred the revenue deficit grant and the share of central taxes as per the award of the 15th Finance Commission to State governments. But these are statutory transfers already provided for in the State Budget. Our criticism has been that no additional money has been transferred to the State government because of the pandemic which has played havoc with the State’s revenues. The Kerala government’s own revenue receipts for the month of April this year is just ₹347.85. In April 2019, it was ₹3,399.86 crore. It may be noted that the devolution of tax share is substantially below the expected receipt because of a fall in the taxes of the central government. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation of ₹652 crore released in April 2020 relates to the period October-November 2019. GST compensation dues, of ₹2,868 crore̥ for the previous fiscal, are pending release from the Centre.
State Governments have all been forced to cut various development expenditure because of the shortfall in revenue.
This expenditure squeeze will have a severe and adverse impact on the macro-economic situation. The Centre must loosen its purse strings and help State governments in fighting this crisis. State governments form the frontline in the battle against the pandemic. Routine things will not suffice. State governments must be provided with more money to tide over this crisis.
T.M. Thomas Isaac,
Minister of Finance and Coir,
Government of Kerala
E-court
As a lawyer I was baffled to read the views on having a virtual judiciary (OpEd, “It’s time for a virtual judiciary”, May 6). The art of advocacy lies in the spirit of donning that regal attire and deftly putting across your case in the open court and fighting tooth and nail till the end.
However, due to the catastrophe created by COVID-19, the idea of open court may be ruled out, but virtual courts can never be a substitute or the ‘new normalcy’, as suggested by the writers. The concept of trial, which forms the backbone of every case, can never be done virtually. The life of lawyers and judges is highly demanding, both physically and mentally. One needs to keep abreast of the latest positions of law in order to be relevant. Hence, one cannot belittle the vacations granted to them, as after all one also needs to relax.
K. Indu Priya,
Chennai
Stop the drift
The sledgehammer-like stripping down of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was assumed to be a panacea for the intractable problem ravaging the State since the 1990s (Editorial, "Dangerous drift", May 6). But, nothing has changed in the paradise of India. The political process lies in tatters, with the imposition of a lockdown and the Internet clampdown only adding to grievances. Cross-border insurgency is on the rise which shows that a lot of heavy lifting needs to be done. The aspirations in the region need to be met in order to cement integration with India firmly.
Gautam Gunjan,
Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand
