Kerala   

Chandy alleges hidden agenda

KANNUR: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has said that government figures showing lapses in utilisation of Plan allocation for panchayats and municipal corporations betray Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac’s ‘hidden agenda’ to make the local bodies incapable of utilising the funds with the sole objective of overcoming the State’s financial crisis.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Chandy said official Plan expenditure figures were shocking as utilisation of funds in the local bodies was just six per cent. The government’s plan expenditure was also far below, he said adding that the local bodies could not be expected to implement their projects during the remaining four months of the current financial year. The Finance Minister did not want the local bodies to utilise the funds allocated for this year, he said.

Mr. Chandy also said there was no justification for the withdrawal of power tariff concession of 20 paise per unit introduced by previous United Democratic Front (UDF). Electricity Minister A.K. Balan’s argument that the UDF government’s decision to slash the tariff had not been legally proper would raise the question as to why the LDF government continued the concession over the last 18 months. The tariff cut had been announced when the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had been in a position to shoulder the cost of the concession. The KSEB’s 100 acres of land had been transferred to the Smart City project for throwaway price, he said recalling that Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, when he had been the Leader of the Opposition, valued the land at Rs.350 crore. The Minister should disclose how much the KSEB had received from transfer of its land in Kochi, he said.

The LDF government had also failed to secure Central government packages such as the one announced to salvage the cooperative sector. The State would lose around Rs.1,000 crore because of its adamant stand, he said.

Mr. Chandy also alleged the CPI(M)-backed Adivasi Kshema Samithi (AKS) was trying to enforce its writ in the Aralam Farm. The Adivasis at the farm had been coerced to sell produces from their land to shops identified by the AKS, he said adding that it was no different from the CPI(M)’s move to control Adivasi land at Chinnakanal.

The four-day ‘Shanthi Yathra’ to be led by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala and himself from Payyannur on December 10 would drive home the message that the Congress could not be weakened by violence being unleashed by the CPI(M), Mr. Chandy said.

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