THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was the receiving end of the annoyance of delegates on the first day of the CPM Thiruvananthapuram district conference, on Sunday, it was the turn of party state secretary M V Govindan.
While participating in a discussion on the work report, a woman delegate reportedly poked fun at Govindan’s oration, saying that anyone keen to know the meaning of the dialectical materialism in the speeches of the state secretary should visit the police station.
“Justice is being denied to victims in police stations across the state. Talking isn’t doing. Women are not given enough representation in party posts. The state secretary has talked about the representation of women. That is good. Does the leadership have the guts to issue a circular about the number of posts given to women cadres?” she reportedly asked.
Delegates severely criticised the ‘reception’ party cadres receive at police stations. “Justice is denied to CPM workers in police stations. Officers don’t treat party cadres with dignity, which is not the case, however, with BJP or SDPI activists,” they reportedly said.
There was also criticism of the health department. Delegates said that there is a shortage of medicines in government hospitals, besides the lack of night-duty doctors. Some even criticised the general education department, headed by V Sivankutty. “All decisions are taken by the educational director. Though there is a strong minister, the decisions are being taken by bureaucrats,” they alleged.
Though the work report commended the activities of the Thiruvananthapuram mayor, delegates took a dig at Arya Rajendran’s style of functioning. Coming down heavily on her, they alleged that national and international awards don’t really matter. “What she needs is the people’s mandate. She is a big failure on that front.
Besides, she is arrogant and insolent,” they alleged. A delegate from Venjarammoodu alleged that ministers have no control over their departments. “Though M B Rajesh is the local self-government (LSG) minister, speaker A N Shamseer held a meeting of officials of the department. How could the speaker call a meeting overruling the minister?” he asked.
Meanwhile, there was also criticism of the LSG department. “LSGD is trying to control local bodies, which have been reduced to a source of spectators to inaugurations of various government programmes. The LIFE Mission is moving at a snail’s pace. The criteria assigned for the project are unscientific. There is public dissatisfaction over the slow progress of projects,” delegates said. Many criticised delays in welfare pensions. ‘In some cases, people are due 18 months of payments. If this goes on, LDF can be certain of a backlash in next year’s local-body elections,” they cautioned.
As expected, delegates also criticised the district and state leadership for incidents that led to former Mangalapuram area secretary Madhu Mullassery defecting to the BJP. They said the leadership cannot not wash its hands off the responsibility.
In his reply, however, Thiruvananthapuram district secretary V Joy severely criticised Madhu. “When I became district secretary, Madhu came to meet me with a suitcase full of clothes and `50,000. I asked him to leave,” he reportedly said.