Thiruvananthapuram, June 29 -- Taking a hard line on state fiscal discipline, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan announced an uncompromising, zero-tolerance approach toward tax evasion, promising full state protection to genuine businesses while aggressively pulling the rug out from under illegal traders.

Speaking during an intense budget discussion in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister laid out a dual challenge posed by tax evaders, warning that their practices simultaneously dry up public funds and drive ethical local merchants out of business.

Chief Minister Satheesan detailed how tax evasion cripples the local economy, explaining that illegal trade unfairly penalises business owners who operate transparently within ...