The Hindu : Kerala News : Cabinet expansion within a week, says Chandy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Cabinet expansion within a week, says Chandy

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 31. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, would leave for Delhi on Thursday to hold discussions with the High Command on the list of Congress Ministers to be included in his Cabinet.

Addressing presspersons here today after the first meeting of his Cabinet, Mr. Chandy said the portfolio allocation would be made only after the Cabinet expansion, which he proposed to complete within a week.

Tight-lipped

When asked whether his Ministers would be new faces, Mr. Chandy said he would have given a clear reply to the question if he were the sole decision-maker. He indicated that he would weigh several aspects while selecting the Congress members in his Cabinet and would seek the opinion of MLAs and other senior leaders before taking a decision.

Cabinet strength

Mr. Chandy, who met the veteran leader, K. Karunakaran, shortly before his swearing-in ceremony, did not comment on whether the Congress would go in for a reallocation of portfolios held by some of the UDF partners.

He said the strength of the Cabinet would not go beyond the present 20.

He said creative steps would be taken to revive the agricultural and traditional industrial sectors.

The Antony Government had implemented various schemes with a clear perspective of expediting the development of the State. It was able to bring about an appreciable change in the education sector. It was able to launch several new projects, but these could not be implemented owing to controversies. In any case, the Antony Government had succeeded in leading Kerala towards development when compared to the efforts of the earlier Government, he said.

Development agenda

In reply to a question, Mr. Chandy said he would continue Mr. Antony's development agenda, but the style of functioning would be his own. He said the Government was not averse to re-examining the Expressway project if there was any merit in the current allegations and counter-allegations.

However, the Government would not accept any opposition just for the sake of opposing it, he said.

Police policy

When asked about his police policy, Mr. Chandy said the Government would not compromise on the question of protecting the life and property of the people.

"In a democracy like ours, it is the political leadership that decides the policy perspectives and it is the responsibility of officials to implement them," he said.

Mr. Chandy, who was a passive critic of Mr. Antony's police policy, said the elected representatives had the right to express their grievances in any forum they wished. The officials were duty-bound to take action if their complaints were correct. If it were not so, they had the responsibility to inform the persons concerned about it.

In reply to a question, he said he would take the bureaucracy into confidence while ensuring there was coordination in the Government's functioning.

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