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Achuthanandan should have removed Joseph, says Chandy

Special Correspondent

Says the Chief Minister failed to make a prima facie inquiry into the allegations

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has alleged that Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has failed to make a prima facie inquiry into the allegations against Public Works Minister P.J. Joseph.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Chandy said the Chief Minister should have conducted a prima facie inquiry and removed Mr. Joseph from the Cabinet before announcing a detailed probe.

"This has been the convention followed in India right from the days of Nehru," Mr. Chandy said.

When asked whether he was satisfied with the inquiry the Government ordered, Mr. Chandy did not give a direct reply, but said the Opposition had left the matter to the sole discretion of the Chief Minister. Instead of following the precedent, Mr. Achuthanandan, even while accepting that he did not examine the matter fully, ordered a probe by a senior IPS official.

Mr. Chandy, giving his assessment of the 100 days of LDF rule, said all issues that the Left coalition raised while it was in opposition, irrespective of whether they had substance in them, had come back with vehemence and was confronting the LDF Government one by one.

He said the Government failed to provide relief to the family of farmers who committed suicide owing to their debt burden. As the Opposition Leader, Mr. Achuthanandan and his party had launched intense agitations demanding relief to the farmers even while accusing the UDF Government of inefficiency. The LDF had since come to power, and farmer suicides were continuing. The Chief Minister and his colleague, Cooperation Minister G. Sudhakaran said the farmers were committing suicides on account of false prestige.

The custodial deaths were increasing with 13 police-related deaths taking place. The Government failed to take further action after announcing a judicial inquiry, he said.

The handling of the police had come to such a pass, prompting the High Court to make adverse comments about its functioning. The LDF Government created confusion in the self-financing professional colleges sector. The Education Minister failed to keep his promise that Government fee would be levied in all professional colleges. The suicide by a student because she could not mobilise funds to pay for her admission for a B.Ed. course, exposes the LDF's claims.

Mr. Chandy said the Government was misleading the public in the matter of reporting vacancies in government service. He said the Government failed to take action against spirit smuggling. Development project lacked speed and the new Government appeared to be keener on undoing the good things that the UDF did while it were in power. The Chief Minister's decision not to release assistance from the Chief Minister's relief fund would affect more than 59,000 persons who had sought help.

The orders had been issued and several people were waiting for the fund release.

Mr. Chandy also questioned the claims of the Finance Minister that the State was heading for a crisis.

He wanted the Government to publish a White Paper.

In reply to a question, Mr. Chandy said he was of the firm view that the inner party problems in the CPI(M) had become a drag on the Government's functioning.

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