Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

LDF torpedoes city’s development: Chandy

Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

Voicing his protest: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy inaugurating a dharna staged by the District Congress Committee on Tuesday against the government’s failure to resume road works and city development projects. —

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy on Tuesday slammed the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, accusing it of torpedoing the development of the capital region. Inaugurating a dharna, staged by the District Congress Committee (DCC) at Thampanoor, he blamed the government for the plight of the city roads and the impasse in development activities.

Mr. Chandy said the flood control project initiated during the previous United Development Front (UDF) regime had ground to a halt midway through.

“The Capital Region Development Committee headed by the Chief Minister has not met since the LDF assumed power. The Cabinet sub-committee and the Empowered Committee of officials are not functioning. The roads improvement project is yet to be revived after being stalled for more a year. Work on the Civil Station at Kudappanakunnu has failed to make progress.”

Mr. Chandy said the government had been in slumber for the past 18 months. “Ministers devote more time to party affairs than the development of the State and the capital.”

He said the UDF government under A.K. Antony had prepared a detailed project and earmarked funds for infrastructure development of the capital. “An amount of Rs.96.2 crore was spent by the UDF regime. But since then, the project has remained in limbo.”

Mr. Chandy termed the Chief Minister’s remarks on the flood situation in the city as an affront to the public. “The UDF government spent Rs.4.9 crore on a project to control flooding at Thampanoor and East Fort. The reconstruction of the culverts at Thampanoor and Pazhavangady were part of the project. The second phase of the scheme suffered as the LDF government failed to take follow-up measures.” Mr. Chandy said the government owed an apology to the people for the 18-month delay in accepting World Bank assistance for road development.

“The Union government had approved a Rs.3,200 crore World Bank-aided road development project submitted by the UDF regime. The LDF government, however, refused to accept the loan. We lost 18 months while other States went ahead with projects. It is good that the LDF has finally seen reason.”

Mr. Chandy alleged that the government had failed to secure a Rs.500 crore assistance sanctioned by the Centre for development of rail and road connectivity for the Vallarpadam container terminal.

“The LDF is now busy trying to resolve the stir against land acquisition that it had stirred up when it was in the Opposition,” he said.

Presiding over the function, DCC president V.S. Sivakumar said the government was mocking the residents of the city. He warned that the DCC would launch a protracted stir against the continued neglect of the capital.

The former Irrigation Minister T.M. Jacob, former MLA K. Mohankumar, KPCC vice-president Thalekkunnil Basheer, the former TRIDA chairman P.K. Venugopal, the former Transport Minister N. Sakthan, CMP leader C.P. John, Congress leaders Palode Ravi and Saratchandra Prasad, writers George Onakkoor, M.R. Thampan and Girija Sethunath and artist Kattoor Narayana Pillai were among those who participated in the dharna.

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