Kerala - Alappuzha   

UDF Government pushed State into debt trap: VS

By Our Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA, MARCH 24. The Leader of the Opposition, V. S. Achuthanandan, has said that the UDF, which had accused the previous LDF Government of pushing the State into a debt trap in five years, had pushed the State into a debt trap in three years of its rule.

Mr. Achuthanandan was inaugurating a protest convention of coir workers and small scale coir product manufacturers of Cherthala and Ambalappuzha taluks at the Kalyani Auditorium here today.

While the UDF leaders said that the previous LDF Government pushed the State into a debt trap by taking a loan of Rs. 12,000 crores in five years, the present UDF Government had overtaken it by taking a loan of Rs. 14,000 crore in three years, observed Mr Achuthanandan.

He said the State Government had a responsibility to explain to the public how it spent the amount taken as loan.

The Leader of the Opposition pointed out that the UDF Government had spent very little in the traditional industries sector in the three years of its rule. If it had spent the amount for developing the traditional industries, the poor workers would have been saved, observed Mr. Achuthanandan.

He blamed the Minister for Coir, K. R. Gowri, of complacency in implementing the accord reached by coir workers and small scale coir product manufacturers with coir exporters. Mr. Achuthanandan said the State Government should procure coconut husk from the State to solve the shortage of fibre being experienced by the coir industry. The Government should earmark at least Rs 75 crores for the purpose, said Mr. Achuthanandan.

He said that the Government should seek the help of Kudumbashree units in the State to procure husk. The Government should provide a fixed amount to each Kudumbashree unit for the purpose, he said. He noted that the plan to import coconut husk from Maldives was not practical.

Those who addressed the convention included the CPI leader M. T. Chandrasenan, the CPI(M) Alappuzha district secretary, M. A. Baby, and the CITU leader, V. S. Money.

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