New Delhi, Jan 29: Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal on Thursday stated that the upcoming Budget, set to be presented by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, will be "populist yet practical," with a strong emphasis on implementable development rather than mere promises.

This will be the final Budget of the current Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF government. Reflecting on the past decade of LDF governance, Balagopal highlighted the significant improvements in living standards across various sections of society, including the poor, elderly, students, workers, and technology professionals, as well as major advancements in infrastructure.

"In the last 10 years, there has been enormous growth in all areas of people's lives. The common people, the downtrodden, the elderly, students, workers, and those in modern technology sectors have all seen a transformation. A lot of development has happened in infrastructure," said Balagopal.

The Finance Minister also revealed plans for a "single-city" development model for the state, with a vision to unify Kerala into a cohesive urban-like entity. He expressed optimism for positive changes arising from the upcoming Central Budget and the next Finance Commission award, noting that the previous Finance Commission was unfavorable to Kerala.

"We are working towards a development model where Kerala functions like a single city. This will be our focus. The Budget should be populist but also practical and reliable. It must not be just about expectations and dreams, but about real work and tangible outcomes," Balagopal added.

He also emphasized the importance of the Central Budget and the Finance Commission in shaping the future of Kerala's development, expressing hopes for significant improvements in the upcoming fiscal plans.