Congress hopes for tangible outcomes from CM Vijayan-FM Sitharaman meeting

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 12: The informal breakfast meeting that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday at the Kerala House in Delhi in the presence of Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar did not go down well with Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and Alappuzha Lok Sabha member K.C. Venugopal.

"Saw a post about a breakfast meeting between CM Vijayan and Sitharaman. Hope it will not be like the PM Modi-Trump meeting held in the US. We are always fighting for the needs of Kerala and we will continue to put pressure on the Centre," said Venugopal.

Incidentally, Vijayan had extended an invite to Sitharaman to join for a breakfast, which also saw the presence of Governor Arlekar and the Kerala's representative in Delhi -- former Congress leader and ex-Union Minister K.V. Thomas.

According to known sources at the meeting, Vijayan brought to the attention of Sitharaman the various issues of the state which includes the Wayanad landslide package, Vizhinjam Port and the extension of the deadline for the utilisation of Rs 529 crore given as a loan in February.

The rider to the loan was if it's not utilised for rehabilitation programme in landslide-hit Wayanad, the unutilised portion would be taken back.

But surprisingly, the ongoing indefinite protest by the Asha workers in front of the State Secretariat in the state capital city which on Wednesday entered the 31st day, where they are demanding higher wages and payment of dues, was not discussed.

Reacting to it that the breakfast meeting did not discuss their plight and their demands, the Asha workers expressed their displeasure that Vijayan did not take it up with Sitharaman.

Incidentally, Vijayan arrived in the national capital to take part in the CPI-M Politburo meeting, ahead of the upcoming State Party Congress to be held in Madurai next month.