The Hindu : Kerala News : Chandy blasts government

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Saturday, Dec 15, 2007
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Kerala

Chandy blasts government

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has said that the State administration has come to a virtual standstill and it is the farmers who have to undergo the worst of the hardships because of this.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Mr. Chandy said the Left Democratic Front government had come to power capitalising on the crisis in the farm sector. But after 18 months in power, it had failed to address the problems in the sector.

The Agriculture Debt Relief Commission had received nearly 6 lakh applications for assistance. But only 7,000 were disposed of so far with the compensation amount coming to Rs.4 crore. The government had failed to release even this amount. The commission was forced to live with staff shortage and lack of funds, he pointed out.

Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac had shot down the Agriculture Department’s proposals and Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran had openly hit out at the action.

The LDF government seemed to have a block against insurance schemes whether it was in the health, fisheries or agriculture. Mr. Chandy also held Dr. Isaac responsible for the additional financial burden of Rs.120 crore the State would have to incur on account of the delay in getting the Kerala State Transport Project off the ground. He criticised Dr. Isaac for his silence on the State Cabinet decision to bring back Pati BEL, the original KSTP contracting company, without inviting tenders.

He said crores of pilgrims arriving at Sabarimala had been let down as the government failed to provide even the basic facilities. The Devaswom Minister and the Travancore Devaswom Board were at logger heads. The Chief Minister was reluctant to intervene and correct mistakes. The Leader of the Opposition said the Achuthanandan Ministry had lost its collective responsibility. The Chief Minister had no control over his Ministers and the Ministers, on their part, did not trust the Chief Minister. The LDF constituents were openly criticising each other and the government’s functioning, while the CPI(M) was functioning as two separate parties. The situation had become murkier with the Ministers indulging in open clashes.

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