Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

`Government messing up education sector'

Special Correspondent

Chennithala alleges attempts to use strong-arm tactics to tackle issues

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala has accused the State Government and the Education Minister of messing up the self-financing professional college sector by inept handling of various issues, including the fee structure and allotment.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr. Chennithala took strong exception to the attempts to use "strong-arm tactics" to tackle issues related to minority.

He said the P.A. Mohammed Committee was nothing but a blackmail panel and his earlier allegations that the committee was packed with CPI(M) men had been validated.

The Health Department had failed to take effective steps to tackle chikungunya. Nearly 35,000 people had been hospitalised, while 24 persons died owing to the illness, he said.

Mr. Chennithala also condemned the way Mohammed Riazuddin was removed as Chief Secretary. It was hard to buy the argument that Mr. Riazuddin was removed because of inefficiency.

The official had performed well during the UDF regime. He was responsible for the speedy processing of the Government order on the implementation of Narendran Commission. His removal was an insult to the minority community.

Besides the Government was trying to blame the former Chief Secretary for its inefficiency, Mr. Chennithala said.

He also protested against the fresh moves to make appointments to the Travancore Devaswom Board even before the Vigilance probe report on earlier appointments had been completed.

The KPCC president announced that the party had decided to forge a common platform for Congressmen working in the Gulf -

The Indian Overseas Cultural Forum. The decision was taken on the basis of his recent visit to the Gulf.

He clarified that all those who accepted the leadership of Sonia Gandhi would be welcomed back.

This would not be applicable to DIC(K) leaders K. Karunakaran and K. Muraleedharan as they had already taken steps to join the Nationalist Congress Party.

Mr. Chennithala also announced the first Panambilly Prathibha Puraskaram, instituted by Samskara Sahithi, cultural wing of the KPCC.

Poet Sugathakumari has been selected for the award that would be presented by Union Minister for Cultural Affairs Ambika Soni on September 27 at a function in Ernakulam.

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