Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that the State government move to disband various health schemes launched during the previous United Democratic Front rule was politically motivated.
Inaugurating the eight-hour sit-in of former Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar before the State Secretariat here on Saturday, Mr. Chennithala said Finance Minister T. M. Thomas Isaac and Health Minister K. K. Shylaja had come out with conflicting statements regarding the structure of these health schemes and the State government needed to come out with more clarity on this issue.
The Leader of the Opposition also wanted the State government to increase the budget provisions for these medical treatment schemes which proved to be beneficial to people suffering from various terminal diseases.
The State administration had come to a grind halt and the files were as immovable as the Madhava Rao statute (in front of the Secretariat). The move to disband these health schemes were intended to help private hospitals. The people of Kerala would wholeheartedly extend their support to Mr. Sivakumar for taking up such an important issue, he said.
Mr. Sivakumar began his demonstration by 9 a.m. The venue witnessed a steady stream of visitors, including senior leaders who came by to express their solidarity.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president M. M. Hassan, general secretary Thampanoor Ravi, DCC president Neyyattinkkara Sanal, K. S. Sabarinadhan, MLA, Janata Dal (United) leader V. Surendran Pillai, IUML leader Beemapalli Rasheed, CMP leader C. P. John were among the Congress and UDF leaders who attended the event.
