The United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition on Friday termed the Governor’s address to the Assembly as lacklustre and directionless since it did not have any concrete proposals for reconstruction of the State, including its funding in the post-flood period.
The government made the Governor P. Sathasivam talk politics, especially related to the Sabarimala issue. But the speech the Governor delivered in the House was silent about the responsibility for wrecking the pilgrimage which suffered a huge loss of ₹100 crore in revenue and the communal polarisation that the government sought to achieve, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said at a joint press conference, accompanied by IUML leader M.K. Muneer, Kerala Congress (Joseph) leader Mons Joseph, and Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader Anoop Jacob.
Most of the Governor’s proposals were repetitive and the State government had taken undue credit for implementing some of the projects taken up during the UDF rule. There was no mention about the promises made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan about rebuilding Kerala since the ground reality was that the government was yet to reach out to thousands of people who were waiting for rehabilitation. No mention was made about the farm sector, which was devastated by the floods, Mr. Chennithala said and listed out the unfulfilled promises made by the Governor in his previouis speeches.
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Mr. Muneer said the Governor’s address coincided with 1,000 days of LDF rule. There was hardly 20 more effective months for the LDF government before the next Assembly elections would come on the State. Several proposals such as publication of transgender policy were hollow because a similar policy had been issued when he was Minister. “The policy declaration made through the Governor’s address is hollow,’’ he said.
Mr. Mons Joseph said the Governor’s address reflected the administrative paralysis that had set in, while Mr. Jacob termed the address disappointing as it did not have anything to offer to the common man.