Public activist R.S. Sasikumar has submitted a petition to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, urging the declaration of a “financial emergency” in the state under Article 360 of the Indian Constitution. Sasikumar highlighted the precarious financial position of Kerala, exceeding its borrowing limits. Outstanding payments to government contractors, SUPPLYCO (state-owned market intervention entity), UGS arrears to college teachers, DA arrears to state government employees, and financial struggles of the state-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation contribute to the crisis.
The petition claims that the state’s fiscal troubles result from inefficiency, lack of planning, and extravagant spending by ministers. Sasikumar urges prompt action to prevent further consequences for the common man and recommends a declaration under Article 360(1) in the larger interest of the state’s people. Governor Khan is reportedly taking the matter seriously, given his prior remarks on the state’s financial challenges.