The Hindu : Kerala News : `Chandy undoing Antony's achievements'

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Thursday, Feb 03, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

`Chandy undoing Antony's achievements'

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 2. The Kerala Congress (B) leader, R. Balakrishna Pillai, today accused the Oommen Chandy Government of undoing every good thing the Antony Government had done.

"Can you ever say this Government is the continuation of the UDF Government headed by A.K. Antony? Have you not torn to shreds every good thing your predecessor had done," he asked during the Assembly debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's Address.

Mr. Balakrishna Pillai, who was not given a Cabinet berth when Mr. Antony stepped down to make way for Mr. Chandy as the UDF Chief Minister five months ago, wondered whether any of the decisions taken by the Chandy Government had come after consultations in the ruling coalition.

He said unpopular decisions such as the ban on the State lottery could have been averted had there been prior consultations in the UDF.

IT Policy

Referring to the proposal to provide large tracts of prime land in Ernakulam city free to a Dubai-based company for the Smart City Project, he asked whether there was any guarantee that the company would generate the promised jobs.

He said the Government's argument was that the IT Policy announced earlier had assured a subsidy of Rs.20,000 for each job created by an IT company. "I could not find any such definite assurance in the IT Policy. My fear is that Government land worth more than Rs.100 crores is being offered to the promoters of the Smart City Project as a gift," he said.

He alleged that certain tourism groups were indulging in encroachment of public land at beaches and riverbanks. Encroachment of revenue land is rampant in Munnar too, according to him.

He said the Governor's address did not touch upon the worsening financial situation of the Government. Public debt had increased by more than Rs.16,000 crores since the UDF took over the Government. "I would not say the Government has diverted the funds received for tsunami relief. But, the inflow of funds under this head has definitely served to improve the ways and means position of the Government," he said.

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