The Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates for all the 16 divisions of the district panchayat turned up for the ‘Meet the Candidates’ programme organised by the Pathanamthitta Press Club, to air their views and priorities on development, here on Tuesday.
Addressing the meet, S.V. Subin of the Mallappally division said if the LDF assumed power, his priority would be to help the youth earn their livelihood by setting up their own enterprises. He said training programmes for those preparing for competitive examinations, and free WiFi at major towns to facilitate Internet connectivity for education purposes, would also be given priority.
The candidates shared their development dreams for the next five years with the mediapersons at the meet. B. Rathikala, who is also a research student from Malayalappuzha, was of the view that the district panchayat should prepare an action plan to equip teenagers to face challenges of the times. Classes should be given to both the students and parents to check misuse of social media, she said.
Promotion and assistance for paddy cultivation in Upper Kuttanad, transparency in administration, socio-environmental issues posed by granite quarries and hill demolition in different parts of the district, intervention of the people’s representatives in various issues facing society, and Pathanamthitta of 2020 were the major topics of discussion at the meet.
Manoj Charalel, the candidate in the Anicaud division, stressed the need to promote farm sector. LDF district leaders K. Ananthagopan, A. Padmakumar, A.P. Jayan, Jerry Easow Oommen, and Alex Kannamala, said the LDF was not for changing the panchayat presidents, fixing them terms of one to two years.
