Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Congress gearing up for stir

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The District Congress Committee (DCC) has accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of bringing development projects in the capital region to a halt.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, DCC president V.S. Sivakumar said the “crumbling” city infrastructure and the short-sighted approach of the government towards development had made life miserable for residents of the capital. “The City Corporation and Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority had failed to mobilise resources. There was little effort to utilise the massive dose of financial assistance offered by the Union Government under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The LDF also failed to follow up the Rs. 1,000-crore package for the development of the capital that was initiated by the UDF regime headed by A.K. Antony.”

Mr. Sivakumar said hardly 25 per cent of the Plan fund allocation was utilised by local bodies. “Plan projects were approved at the eleventh hour, leaving little time for implementation.”

Mr. Sivakumar announced that a leadership training camp organised by the DCC from December 8 to 10 had finalised plans for an extended agitation against the government. On December 17, Congress workers will take out a march to Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) offices in the district in protest against the hike in power tariff. In the second week of January, they will stage a dharna before the headquarters of local bodies in the district to highlight the delay in implementation of Plan projects.

Mr. Sivakumar said the DCC would mobilise resources for the UDF dharna on December 22 against the Government’s failure to check the rise in prices of essential commodities.

A resolution adopted by the leadership camp called for a separate department headed by a Minister for the development of the capital.

It appealed to the Government to revoke the decision to release water from the Neyyar Dam to Tamil Nadu. Another resolution demanded a social audit to ensure time-bound completion of priority projects such as development of the international airport, Vizhinjam container terminal, National Highway bypass, hill railway and the Theerapadham water supply scheme.

A blueprint for development of the capital was approved at the camp.

The document highlighted the need for a capital development fund with external funds, Plan fund assistance and government aid as common pool.

It proposed the relocation of Government offices to suburban areas and the construction of satellite townships at Vattiyoorkavu, Kudappanakunnu, Kovalam, Sreekaryam, Kazhakkoottam and Pravachambalam.

The blueprint urged the government to expedite the construction of the civil station at Kudappanakunnu.

It called for setting up an airport township incorporating the terminal complex, shopping centres, hotels, entertainment parlours, convention centre and restaurants.

The document proposed a Mass Rapid Transport System linking Kattakada, Neyyatinkara, Attingal and Kottarakara, with extended links to Parassala and Kollam. It recommended a Tourism Master Plan for the district to spur the development of tourist destinations such as Ponmudi, Neyyar, Aruvikkara, Poovar, Aakulam and Palaruvi.

Another major proposal was the construction of upper dams for the Peppara and Neyyar reservoirs.

Mr. Sivakumar said the District Congress Committee had constituted a sub-committee to propose means to revive traditional industries such as coir, handloom and cashew processing.

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