Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan meets PM Modi, both disappointed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday expressed unhappiness over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to demands raised by an all-party delegation from Kerala led by him during a meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
The PM reportedly put the ball back in Kerala’s court by pointing out projects the state has not implemented despite central funds being sanctioned for them.
“There was no assurance on demands we put forward. The Prime Minister said it was not possible to reinstate the original ration quota for Kerala and only the quota mooted under the Food Security Act can be provided,” Vijayan said.
Modi, however, agreed to send a central team to assess damage caused by recent floods in the state. Even this assurance was made to minister of state for tourism Alphons Kannanthanam when he called on the Prime Minister. It’s learnt that Modi was unhappy that Kannanthanam was not included in the delegation.
The Prime Minister’s office has reportedly asked the Union home ministry to take a decision on sending an expert team to assess the flood damage. Kannanthanam told reporters after meeting Modi that Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju would lead the central team.
Sources said Modi listed out projects that the state failed to implement even after the Centre sanctioned funds when Vijayan and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala mentioned projects for which the state needed central help.