Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Chennithala defends Sonia stance

Ramesh Chennithala says the government has admitted failures in implementing Central schemes.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday defended Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s statement that the LDF government in Kerala had frittered away several Central schemes.

Ms. Gandhi’s statement had evoked sharp reactions from Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, both of them alleging that her views were politically motivated.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Chennithala, who had promised to respond to the allegations with figures, said the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister were making vain attempts to conceal the actual status of implementing the Central schemes and projects.

Quoting the statements of both the leaders admitting to failures in implementing Central schemes made at official meetings, Mr. Chennithala said the vigilance and monitoring committee under the Local Administration Department had pointed out serious lapses in the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP).

The State government was able to provide employment for an average of 33 days only as against the promised 100 days. Out of the 1,88,373 applications, only 8,518 persons were given 100 days employment. The committee had also found several shortcomings in the matter of payment of wages and maintaining records.

“The State government tried to defeat this programme intended to give a helping hand to those steeped in poverty,” he said.

He said the LDF government also failed to submit proposals in time to enable it to utilise the Rs.680.05-crore Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

He said Ms. Gandhi was capable enough to analyse, assess and form an opinion of her own about international and national affairs, let alone on what was happening in the States. It was unfair on seniors like Mr. Achuthanandan to make such harsh statements, he said.

Mr. Chennithala said the Congress party would stage an embargo programme in all the district collectorates and the State Secretariat on January 20. He would lead a 15-day campaign from Kasaragod from February 1 in protest against the “highly unpopular LDF government.” The concluding function would be held in Thiruvananthapuram and Rahul Gandhi had been invited to attend it, he said.

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