The Hindu : Front Page : Avoid policy decisions, says Opposition leader

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Thursday, Oct 13, 2005

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Avoid policy decisions, says Opposition leader

Special Correspondent

He says UDF Government has got alienated from people

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition V. S. Achuthanandan has urged the United Democratic Front (UDF) Government to avoid taking policy decisions since its tenure would come to a close in six months and there was the possibility of its decisions being overturned by the next Government.

In a statement here on Wednesday, Mr. Achuthanandan said that policy decisions to be taken by the Government would be neither helpful to the State's future nor in the interest of the people. The UDF Government had the backing of 100 MLAs when it assumed office, but it had got alienated from the people with each subsequent election.

The Opposition leader pointed out that the just concluded elections to local self-government institutions in the State had sent the UDF crashing and there was no doubt that the outcome of the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha byelection would be no different. [The byelection necessitated by the demise of CPI leader P.K. Vasudevan Nair is scheduled on November 18.]

The UDF would be swept away in the Assembly elections. Foreseeing this, a `cabal' flourishing under the current dispensation was trying hard to utilise power now available with them for the benefit of vested interests and various mafia groups. Experience so far showed that the Oommen Chandy Government would surrender before them. This would have far-reaching consequences as the UDF Government was now only technically eligible to remain in office, he said.

The Opposition Leader noted that no previous Government had earned the wrath of the Supreme Court as many times as the Oommen Chandy Government. The court verdicts so far proved that the Government in Kerala cared little for the Constitution. The latest instance of this was the Lok Ayukta's strictures against the Government for its diversion of funds received for rehabilitation of tsunami victims and the gross negligence it had shown in the rehabilitation process.

He said the Cabinet was likely to repeat such violation of the Constitution. It had no moral right to take any policy decision and it was inappropriate for it to do so merely because it had a technical majority in the Assembly. If the UDF Government proposed to go ahead and take policy decisions disregarding its moral handicaps, it would have to face a massive stir, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

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