State secretary of the CPI(M) Pinarayi Vijayan has criticised the Centre and State governments for adopting a lacklustre attitude when it comes to implementing schemes concerning the development of the capital city.
Inaugurating an indefinite satyagraha launched by the LDF here to protest the delay in implementing the Vizhinjam port project, establishing a High Court bench, highway development works and the neglect shown by Railways towards the capital, he said while the Centre had shown an apathetic attitude towards the State’s interest, the ruling UDF failed to follow up development issues with the Union government.
The Centre had always tried to put hurdles in the fulfilment of Vizhinjam port and an attempt was being made to dump the project by promoting a neighbouring port. To achieve the Centre’s objective, a huge amount was allocated in the Union budget to develop the neighbouring port but the significance of Vizhinjam cannot be undermined as it was a natural port, he added.
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The attitude of the Centre was same with respect to setting up of a High Court bench here, development of national highways and railways towards Thiruvananthapuram.
Stating that the indefinite satyagraha would be a new chapter in the history of the State, he said the fight would continue till the State government took concrete steps to implement Vizhinjam project and other schemes aimed at developing the capital city.
CPI State secretary Pannian Ravindran said vested interests, including multinational firms involved in port projects, were trying to derail the Vizhinjam project. The scope of the project in generating employment was immense, he added. Others who participated in the protest included, CPI(M) legislators M. Vijayakumar, Sivan Kutty, party district secretary Kadakampally Surendran, president of Janata Dal (S), Congress (S) leader A. K Saseendran, Kerala Congress (J) leader Surendran Pillai and Mayor K Chandrika
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