Kerala - Kochi   

Minister Muneer's woes

M.K. Muneer— painter, singer, writer, medical doctor, and Public Works Minister to cap— recently complained that as a Minister he got both ends of the stick from the media. For instance, he told a builders' meeting in Kochi, whenever a construction project of the Government got stalled because of cost escalation, he would be blamed for the delay. But, if he took steps to compensate the work contractor so that the project could move on, he would be accused of doing it with ulterior motives.

He had taken a lot of blame for the KSTP project. This project, he said, had been approved of by his predecessor in the previous LDF Government way back in February 2000. When he took charge all the formalities had been over and the only thing he had to do was to award the contract. Still, he had to face the music for every fancied ill of the World Bank-aided project.

Again, Dr, Muneer had to face a lot of allegations over the Express highway project which he believed was the need of the times as it would solve a lot of traffic problems. But the critics had called him all sorts of names, and accused him of vertically splitting the State and blocking the free passage of cows wanting to cross from one side to the other.

Nearly 3,000 people died on the road every year and many times that number got injured. These factors necessitated a wide road like the Express highway. He hoped one day the people would realise this.

The Building Association of India official who introduced the Minister to his audience had described Dr. Muneer as "the right man at the wrong place."

Maybe, when an artist turns politician he/she needs to develop a thick skin too.

K.P.M. Basheer

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