Karnataka Finance Row, Kerala Probe & Tamil Nadu Power Cuts

Karnataka's finances, Kerala's corruption probe and Tamil Nadu's power cuts are at the centre of today's Southern View. In Karnataka, a warning from the state Finance Department over limited fiscal space and pending bills has triggered a political confrontation, with the BJP demanding a white paper and the Congress defending its welfare guarantees while raising the issue of funds due from the Centre. In Kerala, the state government has constituted an SIT to examine material shared by the Enforcement Directorate in the controversial monthly payment case involving former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena Vijayan and former minister Mohammed Riyas. The allegations have not been established by a court, while the CPM has alleged political vendetta. In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Vijay conducted a surprise inspection at the power headquarters amid Opposition criticism over frequent power cuts. The visit comes as the government increasingly uses surprise inspections to assess the functioning of departments.