Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 30: Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday alleged that the UDF government had reduced plan fund allocations to local bodies and was yet to release the first instalment.
Inaugurating an LDF protest against the alleged reduction in plan funds for local bodies, Vijayan claimed that these institutions had functioned efficiently under the previous Left government.
The inaugural programme was attended by CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam and senior Left leaders, such as K N Balagopal and G R Anil.
In his address, Vijayan dismissed as baseless the UDF government’s claim, reiterated by Chief Minister V D Satheesan, that the LDF had failed to release the final instalment of plan funds to local bodies before demitting office.
“The fact is that when the Assembly elections were announced, the LDF government was preparing to release the final instalment of plan funds to local bodies. Since the Model Code of Conduct had come into force, the government’s decision required the Election Commission’s approval, even though it was a routine matter,” Vijayan said.
“The Election Commission said permission could not be granted at that stage, despite the government informing it that the funds had already been earmarked for local bodies,” he contended.
He alleged that even after four months in office, the UDF government had not released even the first instalment of plan funds due to local bodies.
As a result, several development projects and essential services, such as palliative care, had been affected, leaving local bodies “financially suffocated”, he claimed.
“There is absolutely no justification for withholding these funds. Neither the CM nor the minister concerned could offer any valid explanation in the Assembly,” the Marxist veteran alleged.(PTI)
