VS takes pot-shot at Menon and his team

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 20. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. V. S. Achuthanandan, has said that those who manned the State exchequer during the last days of the LDF Government, including the then Finance Minister, cannot escape blame for the poor management of State finances at the time.

Replying to questions at a news conference here today, Mr. Achuthanandan also blamed the top brass of the Finance Department of having played foul with the LDF Government. ``This Government has changed police personnel and District Collectors, but it has chosen not to shift its old faithfuls in the Finance Department,'' Mr. Achuthanandan said, in an apparent reference to the Finance Secretary, Mr. Vinod Rai, and his colleagues.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the Antony government's actions showed that those who were managing the treasury and State finances during the LDF rule were pets of the then Opposition. Or how could they have put the grant-in-aid due to the State as Rs. 1,017 crores in the budget presented in February and reduced it by Rs. 804 crores in the revised budget marking a reduction of Rs. 207 crores, he asked.

He did not also spare the former Finance Minister, Mr. T. Sivadasa Menon, and said, again in reply to a question, that he did not think the role of the Minister who controlled the Finance Department was any less important. ``I wouldn't certify the conduct of Ministers who failed to understand their officials,'' Mr. Achuthanandan said.

Citing the Centre's refusal to grant flood relief assistance to the State despite the Chief Minister and his colleagues having personally pleaded with the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr. Nitish Kumar, the CPI(M) leader said soon it would become evident to all that the NDA Government was adopting a discriminatory attitude towards the State. Asked about the Government move to order a Vigilance probe into alleged irregularities in the construction of a memorial to mark the Golden Jubilee of national independence on the Secretariat premises (which was damaged in the rain) and the money spent on `Manaviyam', he said those who handled such things should have taken greater care.

On the Special Fund for MLAs announced in the budget, he said there was no justification for it as the Fund had been sanctioned after reducing the outlay for local bodies. Will the Opposition reject the Government offer? ``We will discuss the issue and take a decision,'' Mr. Achuthanandan said.

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Section  : Southern States
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