The Left Democratic Front (LDF) State committee has announced a blockade of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy from October 1demanding his resignation in connection with the solar scam. LDF convenor Vaikkom Viswan told reporters here that the committee, which met here on Thursday, decided to strengthen the ongoing agitation and conduct a rally headed by its State leaders. Details of the rally would be worked out at the LDF State committee meeting on October 1. The LDF committees from the booth to the district level would chalk out the plan next month.
The committee passed resolutions against “the failure of the State government’s market intervention efforts, lapses in implementing the Kuttanand and Idukki packages and the move to start the Palakkad railway coach factory with private participation.” The neo-liberal policies being pursued by the Centre and State governments had paved the way for inflation in the State.
Price rise
The prices of rice, vegetables and other consumables had increased by 100 to 200 per cent in two years. The market intervention efforts of the LDF government had helped to considerably reduce the impact of inflation in the State. Now the consumer price index of 11 States was much lower than that in Kerala. The State government should expedite its market intervention efforts, the resolution said. The government laxity had affected the implementation of the Kuttanad and Idukki packages which were secured by the consistent efforts of the LDF government. Implementation of the Rs.1,840-crore Kuttanad package had virtually come to a halt. No effective steps were taken to manage the flooding in Kuttanad..
The LDF government had acquired 430 acres of land for the coach factory at Kanjikode. Railways also had acquired 239 acres. This was envisaged as a joint venture of the State government and Railways. The Centre did not accept the proposal. The Railways’ offer to implement it directly had not been honoured.
The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) had agreed to participate in the project.
Now global tenders had been floated and the share of railways had been fixed at 24 per cent. This included the land acquired by the State government. The UDF government had noted acted on the issue so far. The LDF wanted to retain the factory in the public sector itself, the resolution said.
The committee also decided to hold seminars in all districts to create a public awareness against the U.S. bid to move against Syria.
