Kerala - Kochi   

State has a solid foundation, says Krishna Iyer

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: "It was the first Communist Government that laid the foundation for the later socio-economic development of Kerala," V.R. Krishna Iyer, who was a key member in that Government, says in a message on the occasion of the golden jubilee of State formation.

Recalling the initial years of the united Kerala, he said a large number of development projects had been launched in less than three years of the EMS Government.

Mr. Krishna Iyer, who was made a Minister on April 5, 1957, was in charge of Home, Law, Prisons, Social Welfare, Irrigation, Electricity and Inland Navigation. "So far as I know, the foundations I laid in these departments have stood the test of time." As Home Minister, he had ordered the police not to shoot to kill, but to moderate the mobs. In spite of the widespread violence unleashed by the Vimochana Samaram agitators, there were only a couple of incidents in which deaths occurred from police firing. "This was a great achievement at the time and was appreciated even by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru."

He had also persuaded the judges to work 210 days, instead of 200. When the judges interrupted the law to the detriment of people, he had got the laws amended.

He had a crucial role in drafting the controversial Education Act and the Agrarian Relations Act, which had a far-reaching impact on Kerala society. Mr. Krishna Iyer said he had started the Kuttiyadi power project and had been instrumental in taking electricity to villages in the Malabar region, where electricity was a rare phenomenon. Many irrigation projects were launched during that short period.

"The Neyyar dam was completed during my time as Minister and I got the Idukki project for Kerala by successfully arguing against Tamil Nadu's demand for a major project at the Planning Commission." He had also made a master plan for the development of water resources. He had got Nehru's sanction for 50:50 cost-sharing for raising seawalls to check beach erosion.

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