LoP terms claims in LDF govt''s progress report as false

Kottayam(Kerala), May 24 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Saturday alleged that none of the claims the LDF government made in a progress report it issued to itself at the conclusion of its 4th anniversary celebrations were correct.

Satheesan, at a press conference here, contended that all the claims of the Left government have collapsed, like the various sections of the National Highway(NH)-66 during the recent rains.

Referring to the ongoing controversy surrounding the damage to various sections of NH-66, Satheesan reiterated his allegation that the construction was "unscientific and faulty" and that "no soil testing" was carried out before building the highway.

He said that the UDF never opposed the widening of the NH-66, but it and other political parties, including the Left and the BJP, had opposed the acquisition of the land for the project as the compensation being given was meagre.

He claimed that after the UPA government enacted the Right to Fair Compensation Act in 2013, land acquisition became easier as the compensation amount increased manifold and people came forward offering their plots for the project.

Satheesan also rejected the CPI(M) contention that Kerala was the only state to pay for land acquisition for NH development.

He said that according to a reply given in the Parliament, several states, including Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and West Bengal, have contributed towards the cost of land acquisition, in some cases even upto 100 per cent.

The opposition leader said that this was done as part of the Value Capture Finance Model -- a scheme the central government brought in 2021 -- which permits state governments to help in land acquisition.

He said that the state government should disclose the agreement, if any, it entered into as part of that scheme.

Satheesan alleged that initially the state government and its The Public Works Department (PWD) claimed they were carefully scrutinising every phase of the NH construction and after the work was completed they claimed credit for it.

"Now that cracks have appeared in hundreds of places along the NH, they are nowhere to be seen. CM has now said that the state government has nothing to do with the NH development and the entire responsibility lies with National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Centre," he contended.

He also alleged that the state government has no complaints against the NHAI or the Centre for the damages to the NH at various places.

Besides the highways, the state government, in its progress report, has also claimed credit for the Vizhinjam port, the public healthcare system in the state, implementing the GAIL gas pipeline and the various welfare schemes among others, Satheesan contended.

He claimed that the state government can only claim credit for delaying the Vizhinjam port, collapse of various welfare boards in the state and the crores of arrears of pensions and DA to be paid to current and retired government employees.

He also claimed that it was one of the ministers in the current LDF administration who opposed to the GAIL pipeline during the Oommen Chandy government.

Satheesan also alleged that collection and storage of coconuts and paddy have failed in the state and the government did not increase the minimum support price of rubber to Rs 250 as promised by it.

He said that the only thing the UDF opposed was the K-Rail's Silverline project and asserted that this initiative will never be allowed in Kerala. PTI HMP HMP ADB