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Food scheme: LDF talks inconclusive

Special Correspondent

CPI alleges bid to take over the scheme
LDF convener rules out any differences at meet

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) State committee could not make much headway in the discussions on the contentious food security scheme at its meeting here on Tuesday as Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan had to leave for New Delhi midway to call on former CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet who is critically ill.

The meeting lasted barely an hour. But the entire duration of the truncated meeting was devoted to the discussion on the food security scheme. Absence of a consensus on funding and implementation of the scheme was evident from the word go and the discussion saw the CPI leaders registering their displeasure about what they termed “attempts by the Chief Minister and the CPI(M) to take over the scheme.” At the outset, the Chief Minister explained the scheme and the way funds were proposed to be found for its implementation. He tried to convince the CPI leadership that their objections to the proposal to have an oversight committee headed by him were born out of unfounded fears and that funds for implementation of the scheme could be pooled in by the different departments concerned.

But the CPI was in no mood to oblige. Party State secretary Veliyam Bhargavan told the meeting that if there was to be a committee headed by the Chief Minister to implement a scheme which was essentially a concern of the Agriculture Department, there could be similar committees in respect of other departments concerned as well. He also did not hide his resentment about some of the observations made by the Chief Minister during the last few days and asked the CPI(M) leadership to ask departments under its control to commit the funds claimed to be with them for agricultural development before going any further in the matter.

Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, who participated in the meeting as a special invitee, explained that adequate funds were available with various departments for implementation of the scheme and what was meant by the committee was only to oversee its implementation. He pointed out that the local bodies alone would have around Rs. 500 crore and that Rs. 250 crore earmarked for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) could be linked to the food security scheme. In addition, another Rs. 300-400 crore could also be made available from various Centrally-sponsored schemes.

The other LDF constituents had little role in the debate. Some of them favoured an amicable settlement between the two major front constituents, but others felt that the CPI was overreacting. Finally, CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan suggested that the committee meet again. Later, LDF convener Vaikom Viswan dismissed visual media reports that the meeting dispersed midway on account of sharp differences between the CPI(M) and the CPI over the issue.

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