The Hindu : Kerala News : Master plan: State in dark

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Kerala

Master plan: State in dark

Staff Reporter

Minister blames Commissioner

Sees situation conducive to corruption
Says not answerable to coalition leaders

KASARAGOD: Cooperation and Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran has said that he became aware of the Travancore Devaswom Board’s move to implement the Sabarimala master plan only from newspapers.

He told presspersons here on Saturday that the Devaswom commissioner who was legally bound to inform the government of the move had not done it. The government was not against implementation of development projects. But the commissioner was bound to inform the government on the developments in Sabarimala once in three months. But the official who was continuing even after his term ended was violating the laws, he added.

Mr. Sudhakaran said a situation conducive to corruption was existing in the Board. But the government could not do much to remove it as the present laws did not empower it to intervene in an effective way.

Mr. Sudhakaran said the CPI (M) State conference had expressed full satisfaction on the functioning of the Devaswom Ministry. No one had been able to raise any corruption charges against the Devaswom and Cooperation departments.

On the criticisms raised by some LDF leaders, Mr. Sudhakaran said he was accountable to the people, the Cabinet, the legislature, the CPI (M), and the LDF but not to individual leaders of coalition parties.

Criticises Sonia

Congress president Sonia Gandhi should do an introspection on the performance of the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre and take steps to ensure its continuance after the next general election instead of criticising the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the State, Cooperation Minister G. Sudhakaran has said.

He was answering the questions of reporters who met him at the Kasaragod guesthouse on Saturday.

A responsible government ruled the State and its initiatives to end corruption and re-establish probity in public life had been appreciated by all sections of society, Mr. Sudhakaran said. “We don’t hesitate to criticize our own colleagues if they are found doing wrong,” he said. Mrs. Gandhi should have appreciated those things instead of turning a blind eye towards the gains of the LDF government, he said.

The Minister pointed out that the Bharatiya Janata Party was going all out to capture power at the Centre and Mrs. Gandhi should realise the gravity of the situation. Her Thiruvananthapuram speech pointed to her inadequate understanding of the political situation, Mr. Sudhakaran said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat and State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan would respond to the charges of Ms. Gandhi appropriately; he was responding to the criticism of the LDF government, Mr. Sudhakaran said.

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