Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal addressing the presidents and secretaries of local bodies at the State LSG Day celebrations at Chalissery near Thrithala on Sunday.
Minister for Finance K.N. Balagopal criticized the Central government for helping companies make gains at the cost of burdening the people by implementing the GST. The slashing of taxes on luxury items has helped the companies, he said.
Inaugurating a delegates session at the State Local Self Government (LSG) Day celebrations at Chalissery near Thrithala on Sunday, Mr. Balagopal said that the market price of not a single thing had gone down. “The GST regime has reduced the revenue of the State and burdened the people,” he said.
The Minister called upon LSGs to shift their focus to production sector.
Presiding over the function, Minister for Local Administration M.B. Rajesh said that an urban commission would be appointed to formulate a city policy that suits the State. He reminded the LSGs that they could not function with the plan funds alone, and that resources mobilization was vital for them.
Mulanthuruthy grama panchayat in Ernakulam district, Pappinissery panchayat in Kannur district, and Marangattupilly panchayat in Kottayam district won the first, second and third prizes for the best panchayats. They were given away the Swaraj trophies.
The Swaraj trophies for the best block panchayats went to Perumpadappu in Malappuram district (first prize), Kodakara in Thrissur district (second prize), and Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram (third prize).
The Swaraj trophies for the best municipalities went to Tirurangadi (first), Wadakkanchery (second), and Sulthan Bathery (third).
Thiruvananthapuram has won the Swaraj trophy for the best municipal corporation.
Kannur and Kollam shared the Swaraj trophy for the best district panchayat, when Ernakulam won the second prize.
Kallikkad (Thiruvananthapuram), Agali (Palakkad) and Sholayur (Palakkad) grama panchayats won the first, second and third Mahatma awards for the best panchayats respectively.
Wadakkanchery and Vaikom municipalities won the Mahatma-Ayyankali trophies for the best two municipalities.
Mr. Rajesh gave away the Swaraj, Mahatma and Ayyankali trophies. He also gave away a trophy to Mohammed Matti, a staffer at Ponmala panchayat in Malappuram district, for designing the logo of the LSG Day celebrations.
