Kochi: Congress MLAs of Ernakulam district on Wednesday dished out their complaints against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government defending their decision to boycott the Nava Kerala Sadas, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s public outreach programme.
The Congress MLAs, barring Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan and Muvattupuzha’s Mathew Kuzhalnadan, met the media at District Congress Committee (DCC) office a day before the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues’ state-wide tour entering Ernakulam district. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has skipped the event calling it CPM’s propaganda programme at the state’s expenses.
The MLAs said no major development project has been carried out in the district in the past seven years of LDF government. They said the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government has been ignoring the district which contributes maximum revenue to the state to settle political scores.
The opposition MLAs said the coastal areas of the district has been facing a crisis die to the failure of government machinery. The MLAs said severe sea erosion has been troubling Vypeen and Kannamali areas while sea wall has been built only at a seven-km stretch along Chellanam.
Perumbavoor MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly highlighted the rising man-animal conflict in the forest regions in the east of the district. “People in the panchayats neighbouring forest are leading a tense life. Even their life is in a balance. Nearly 10,000 farmers have not received crop insurance yet. Plantation and bamboo corporation s are facing a closure while the Vazhakulam pineapple company is almost non-functional.” he said.
He also highlighted the uncertainty over gift city project and the delay in implementing the Angamaly-Sabari rail project.
Angamaly MLA Roji M John pointed to the noncompletion of the road byepasses at Angamaly, Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam.
“Angamaly-Kundannur road remains only on paper. The works on four-lane Aluva-Munnar road have not reached anywhere. Seaport-Airport-Angamaly road construction also is in uncertainties,” he said.
The opposition MLAs also highlighted the drinking water shortage, waste management issues and drawbacks in healthcare sector.
MLAs K Babu, T J Vinod, AnwarSadath, Roji M John, Uma Thomas, and eldhose Kunnappilly attended the press meet. DCC presidet Mohammed Shiyas and UDF district chairman Dominic Presentation also attended the press meet. Shiyas said the Nava Kerala Sadas is nothing but an image-builidng exercise.
