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Candidates trade charges over development issues

Staff Reporter

Each takes credit for developing fishing harbour

ALL SMILES: Candidates for Koyilandy Assembly constituency P. Sankaran, UDF; P. Viswan, LDF; and V.V. Rajan, BJP, are all smiles at a meet-the-candidates programme at the Calicut Press Club on Wednesday. — PHOTO: S. RAMESH KURUP

KOZHIKODE: The claims and counterclaims over the credit of setting up the Koyilandy fishing harbour figured at a meet the candidates programme organised by the Calicut Press Club here on Wednesday for the candidates of the Koyilandy Assembly constituency.

UDF candidate P. Sankaran, LDF candidate P. Viswan and BJP candidate V.V. Rajan, who took time off from their campaign, tried to claim credit for the fishing harbour.

Mr. Sankaran, who won the seat in 2001 before he quit the Assembly along with other MLAs to form the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), said he had made the fishing harbour a reality in a record time of four-and-a-half years. He recalled that Union Minister Sharad Pawar had also helped in setting up the harbour.

He said that the claims of the rival candidate that the local MP (belonging to LDF) had helped a lot in sanctioning the harbour were "contrary to facts".

Mr. Viswan, who was the MLA from 1996-2001 in the constituency, said that the announcement of the fishing harbour was made in the budget speech of T. Sivadasa Menon, Minister of Finance in the LDF ministry on February 23, 2001, which also allotted Rs.10 lakhs for it.

He claimed that he had raised the issue in the Assembly and had organised several agitations by organising fishermen from 1997.

Mr. Rajan said that both the candidates had conveniently skipped the fact that it was the BJP Government at the Centre that sanctioned the harbour in 2001.

When Mr. Sankaran, who was the Health Minister in the Antony Government, claimed that he had sanctioned Rs.5.31 crores for the Koyilandy Taluk Hospital and installed telemedicine facilities there, Mr. Viswan and Mr. Rajan countered his claims by pointing out the inadequate facilities at the hospital.

"The hospital is like a crematorium," Mr. Viswan said. He said that there were not enough doctors at the hospital.

Mr. Rajan alleged that though the Centre had sanctioned Rs.45 crores for the Chemencheri hospital in the constituency, no facilities were being set up there.

Mr. Sankaran said that he had always stood for the comprehensive development of the constituency. Mr. Viswan said that the constituency was now "orphaned" without a representative in the Assembly.

Though he had taken steps to erect seawall across the 29-km shoreline along the constituency, no such works were taken up during Mr. Sankaran's term.

He alleged that Mr. Sankaran had not sanctioned a single HSS course in schools in the constituency during his tenure.

Mr. Viswan alleged that Mr. Sankaran had done nothing to revive the Thiruvangoor coconut complex.

Mr. Sankaran said that he would not claim that he would revive the complex, as it was not practically possible.

Mr. Rajan alleged that development activities had come to a standstill in the constituency, with the candidates of both the fronts neglecting it.

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