The State government should have approached the Supreme Court to take a final decision on the Halcyon Castle, near Thiruvananthapuram, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has said.
“Had this been done, we could have been spared of this situation when games are being played by business groups with vested interests,” said Mr. Achuthanandan, after a visit to the castle on Tuesday.
The castle must be deemed a monument of historical significance and funds must be allocated so that the Department of Culture could take immediate steps for its conservation, Mr. Achuthanandan said.
He said that it was strong pressure from the LDF that, in 2005, forced the then UDF government to take a decision to maintain status quo about the castle.
The present government was acting in an unconstitutional manner, the Opposition leader said.
He said it remained to be seen whether the government would take care of the people’s wishes, as desired by the Opposition, or the needs of the business enterprises concerned.
Mr. Achuthanandan said he hoped that the government would arrive at a sensible decision on this matter without precipitating an agitation by the people.
