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Chandy joins issue with VS

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM, SEPT. 12. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, today joined issue with the Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, on the latter's allegation that Mr. Chandy was trying to turn the KPCC and DCC offices into parallel power centres.

Speaking to presspersons here today, the Chief Minister said the proposed DCC interface between the Congress ministers and party workers was part of a democratic process.

Mr. Achuthanandan was raising the allegation without fully knowing the facts, Mr. Chandy said. ``As Chief Minister, I will meet the public and receive complaints at the Collectorate. However, I will sit at the respective DCC offices and interact with party men, listening to their criticism and suggestions''. This was totally within democratic norms, he said.

The first of these interfaces was held at the Ernakulam DCC office, which was telecast by all the visual media, he said and asked what was wrong with the effort to bring people closer to the administration.

When asked whether Ministers belonging to coalition constituents would also follow suit, the Chief Minister said that was up to them to decide. However, they would have the freedom to hold such exercises on their own, he said. Mr. Chandy reminded that during the LDF regime, even files were being called to the AKG Centre. ``Under the UDF, the case would not be like that,'' he quipped.

The Chief Minister released a special issue of a magazine dedicated to HIV/AIDS victims at his residence here. This was followed by a reception to Mr. Chandy at his home parish, St. George Orthodox Church, Puthuppally.

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