KANNUR: Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has said that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government is preparing a new development agenda that will in no way reverse the achievements of the State in social and political spheres over the last 50 years.

Inaugurating the district-level celebration of the golden jubilee of united Kerala here on Wednesday, the Minister said the agenda was being drafted to equip the State to face new challenges.

Observing that the formation of united Kerala was not only an expression of the cultural identity of people but also a manifestation of their understanding of a democratic State, he said the first Ministry, led by E.M.S. Namboodiripad, had initiated various measures to translate this understanding into reality.

Dr. Isaac said the Malabar region became backward during the colonial rule, as the entrenched landlordism here pauperised the people, while the emergence of a powerful middle class in the Travancore region accelerated progress of that region.

The greatest achievement over the last 50 years was the creation of an environment that allowed ordinary people in the State to live as human beings with a sense of self-respect and social security, he said. "Today, we are facing new challenges and we have to conceive new programmes to tackle them. We should not repeat doing what we did in the past,'' Dr. Isaac said.

Referring to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's agenda for the State, he said the State had to focus on achieving more growth in IT and knowledge-based service areas and tourism.

The rich tourism potential of the north Malabar region and its rich cultural tradition had to be made use of in developing tourism, the Minister said.

Stating that the proposed Kannur airport was a major catalyst for the development of the region, Dr. Isaac said the Government would ensure participation of private investment in all the developmental activities here.

But there would be no compromise on protecting the democratic and egalitarian rights of the people in the State.

Beedi industry

Announcing that the Government would introduce measures for the rehabilitation of the dying beedi industry in the region, the Minister said that recruitment in the new sectors, such as garment and processing industries, being planned would be directly linked with the rehabilitation scheme. District panchayat president K.K. Narayanan presided over the function.

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