Centre, state shielding the corrupt: Chandy
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday spewed venom at the Union and state governments alike, saying both were identical to each other in that they shielded the corrupt and were vying with each other on ways to choke people with various policies.
“The Centre and the state government rode to power on the anti-corruption plank. But it was revealed they are only guarding the corrupt. The Narendra Modi Government and BJP are on the defensive at the national level. The Prime minister is cheating people.
He is not even able to explain what benefits demonetisation achieved. People have realized Modi’s rhetoric is only a shower of promises left unfulfilled,” Chandy said, inaugurating a UDF leaders’ meet held here to finalise plans to ensure maximum public participation in the finale of the Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala-led ‘Padayorukkam’ on December 1 which Congress national vice-president Rahul Gandhi is expected to attend.Training his guns on the state government, Chandy criticised it for leaving the much-hailed public distribution system of the state in tatters.
‘It is for the first time in 50 years PDS failed in the state,” Chandy said, referring to the ration dealers’ strike and the crisis lingering on ration supplies under the Food Security Act to beneficiaries for the past several months.“The state government’s indifference to implement an agreement reached between the former UDF Government and ration dealers has led to the crisis,” he said.UDF district chairman Solomon Alex presided over the meeting.
KPCC president M M Hassan, general secretaries Thampanoor Ravi and T Saratchandra Prasad, DCC president Neyyatinkara Sanal, besides M Vincent MLA ,former Deputy Speaker Palode Ravi and UDF leaders Beemapally Rasheed, N M Nair and others attended.
Settle ration dealers’ agitation: Congress
T’Puram:Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC president M M Hassan have asked the state government to end the ration dealers’ stir at the earliest and called for reconciliation talks based on a course to fulfill the promises given earlier by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself. “Disruption of ration supplies and the present stir are borne from the apathy and ineptitude of the LDF Government. Ration dealers are now on the agitation path as the assurances given by the Chief Minister have not been met. The Chief Minister should take the lead to end the stir,’’ Hassan said.Amidst leading ‘Padayorukkam’ in its course, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala rang up Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman, reminding that the issues raised by the striking ration dealers are indeed genuine and prevailed upon the latter to hold discussions and settle the stir immediately.
‘’Ration dealers are only demanding to implement the assurances given by the state government to them.“The Chief Minister had assured, at a meeting convened by him in last July, to sort out issues in the ration sector, that monthly wages of Rs 16,000 each will be paid to all ration dealers handling 350 ration cards and 45 quintal of foodgrain for distribution,’’ Chennithala said. “Instead of attempts to arrive at a settlement with ration dealers, retaliatory measures should not be followed as it would only vitiate the atmosphere,’’ Chennithala said.
Hassan, in a statement, charged that the Chief Minister is now trying to threaten ration dealers, as in the case of addressing many people’s stirs. ‘’Bringing ration supplies to a halt would only block food supplies for the people,’’ he reminded the Chief Minister. When the corrupt among royal family members even under a monarchy like Saudi Arabia is put behind bars,the Chief Minister here is protecting a corrupt and law breaching Thomas Chandy, he said.‘’Had Thomas Chandy encroached land in Kuwait, he would have landed in jail by now,’’ he said.