Kerala Assembly: Opposition boycotts debate

Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition on Thursday boycotted the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address saying that they cannot cooperate with the proceedings.

The Opposition had earlier urged the governor not to deliver the address as the government was immersed in corruption. It had not right to make policy declaratgions.

The Opposition, which had returned after a walk-out, earlier shouted slogans against the government. As the debate on the motion began, Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan announced that they were boycotting the proceedings.

During the debate, former Finance Minister K. M. Mani, who had started the Karunya lottery scheme to provide medical assistance to the poor, expressed concern over a government order that sought to change the identity of the scheme by merging it with another scheme. Karunya was the biggest humanitarian project undertaken by a government in the country.

The Chief Minister in his reply to the debate assured that the identity of the scheme would be destroyed. He had already issued directives to ensure that, after Mr. Mani brought it to his notice yesterday. Karunya was a project that fully imbibed the government’s motto of development with care. Rs. 1200 crore that went to lottery operators in the past became available to the poor under the scheme.

Mr. Chandy said that the Government had taken active efforts to solve problems of overseas Keralites. It has intervened whenever Malayalees got into trouble abroad. Welfare pensions have been extended to 32 lakh persons.  Ashraya, the best programme of government, supported people without anyone to care for them.

“Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan had said he was ashamed of being in the House with me.  I am proud that I had worked with him as Opposition Leader when Mr. Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister. Because I worked with him, I could work with anyone now.”

Mr. Achuthanandan had alleged corruption in granting aided status to schools of mentally challenged. It was done because it was injustice that mentally challenged children had to pay fee when others could get free education in aided schools. Aided status has now been extended to schools for physically challenged also, he added.

Mr. Chandy said that the people of Kerala would realise the truth behind the allegations being made by the Opposition.

Noting that the remarks against vice chairman of Higher Education Council chairman T. P. Sreenivasan by A. K. Balan (CPI-M) was highly regrettable, the Chief Minister said that Kerala could become an international destination in education if the State is determined to achieve that. While the rest of the country had 507 autonomous colleges, Kerala had none. Now, the government had given autonomous status to 11 colleges selected by the Council.

After the Chief Minster’s reply, the House passed the motion of thanks (in the absence of the Opposition).