Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader V D Satheesan on Thursday criticised the Kerala government for its decision to proceed with a brewery project in Palakkad, questioning its impact on water availability.

Speaking to the media, Satheesan raised concerns over the project's water consumption. “The government claimed that water for the brewery will be sourced from Malampuzha dam. But visuals of the catchment area show that there is no water there.”

Highlighting the potential consequences, he added, “A brewery of this scale requires 80 MLD (million litres per day) of water. This will definitely affect the drinking water situation in the region.” Satheesan also asserted that the Opposition would go to any extent to prevent the project from moving forward. Despite opposition from its alliance partner CPI, the Kerala government decided to proceed with the brewery in Palakkad's Elappully on Wednesday.

The Opposition leader also pointed to concerns regarding the state’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He stated that while the government highlights the number of enterprises opened, the more pressing issue is the number of firms that have shut down.

“There are 3.5 lakh MSMEs in Kerala. This is because a 2021 amendment included wholesale and retail enterprises under the category. Figures from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka also indicate a similar rise in enterprises after 2021. However, what the Kerala government should be studying is not the number of enterprises opened but the number of firms that have shut down. Here, eight out of 10 new firms do not survive,” he said.

Satheesan also criticised the state government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, alleging that it misled the public regarding its success in managing the pandemic. “If the Opposition remains silent now, we will suffer. During COVID-19 times, the government created a narrative that we were the state that handled COVID-19 most beautifully. But after the elections, we realised that Kerala had the second-highest number of Covid deaths in the country. The highest was Maharashtra, which has a population three times that of Kerala,” he pointed out.

Further criticising the government’s financial decisions, he questioned its priorities, referring to the recent salary hike for Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) members. “The PSC members’ salaries were increased yesterday. These are party members appointed by the government. But when ASHA workers requested an increase in their honorarium, they were mocked,” he said.

Satheesan also stated that he was open to debating the Chief Minister on these issues. “I am ready for any kind of debate with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan if needed,” he said.