Economic reforms unavoidable, says Kunhalikutty
Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty has said that the implementation of the second round of economic reforms by the Central Government was inevitable because of the serious economic situation faced by the country. The reforms have already started yielding results with the rupee value going up, he said. However, he admitted that the reforms had been causing much difficulties to the people.
Addressing a meet-the-press programme organised by the Kollam Press Club on Friday, he said there was no role for IUML state president Panakad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal nor the Panakad family in the Calicut University land deal case. Panakad Thangal was the patron and chairman of over 400 public trusts and he will not gain anything through a decision to allocate land to one such trust.
On the comments made by PWD Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju about IUML’s clout in the UDF, he said his comments were presented out of context to create a controversy. The remarks were made at a party forum and were addressed to IUML activists, he said.
On the posting of Managing Director at KMML here, he said that the government was apprehensive of appointing a full-time Managing Director in a key public sector undertaking like KMML. He said the government preferred a civil servant to the post to ensure direct government control over the administration of the company.
Industries Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma, who has been deputed to Delhi, was in charge of the company for one-and-a-half years and in his absence the charge had been given now to the Additional Secretary. Kunhalikutty said the issues faced by KMML were not related to administration of the company.
The e-tendering process had brought about greater transparency and efficiency in the functioning of the public sector companies.
Asked about the NSS-SNDP unity and allegations against IUML for creating religious tensions, he said IUML had always stood for harmony among various castes and religious groups.
He said that IUML had been maintaining good relationship with NSS and SNDP and is open for dialogue. He, however, added that dialogue may take some time.
The commendable performance of the UDF in the latest byelections to local bodies shows that anti-government protests and strikes did not have much impact on the voters.