Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader and political commentator Cherian Philip on Tuesday sharply criticised the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), describing it as a “white elephant” that has driven the state into deep financial distress.

His statement comes on a day when the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government has given full-page advertisements on how they have re-shaped Kerala through this project, as it celebrates its silver jubilee.

Incidentally, it was during the tenure of economist-turned-then State Finance Minister Thomas Issac (2006-11) that KIIFB was given a makeover, and during his tenure and since Vijayan took over in 2016, it was given further thrust. The Congress party, however, has been criticising it.

Philip alleged that KIIFB’s income and expend

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