Giving clear signs of dissociation with the ‘Emerging Kerala’ business summit, the LDF state committee which met here on Friday sought more clarity as precondition for any kind of co-operation with the government’s efforts in organising the meet.
Briefing reporters about the decisions of the LDF state committee meeting here, convener Vaikom Viswan said that Emerging Kerala was yet another exercise on the model of GIM organised by the previous UDF Government.
Asked whether LDF was planning to boycott the meet, he said that they had not decided on boycotting yet.
“But the government has to make it clear what they really intended to do with it. As of now we see the summit as just another exercise to hoodwink the people. Under the cover of development, the government is clearing ground for land mafia to own the government land and set up resorts and other tourism projects causing serious damage to the environment,” he said.
Vaikom Viswan said that the UDF Government wanted to sabotage the land reforms and convert the plantation land for tourism projects taking advantage of the new law permitting to set apart 5 percent of plantation land for other purposes.
“Under the new law, 90,000 acres of the plantation land can be converted for other than plantation purposes which will cause serious environmental disaster to the state,” he said.
Viswan said that any attempt to implement tourism projects at Vagamon would lead to the drying up of two rivers, Manimala and Meenachil.
When pointed out that the Chief Minister had complained that the Opposition was not ready even to hold discussion on the topic of Emerging Kerala, the LDF convener said that there was no point in attending the discussions when the government continues to say that it would go ahead with ‘Emerging Kerala’ before giving clarity on the topic.
However, he said that if the government could convince them about their intentions they would be happy to cooperate.
Viswan said that they would observe September 12 as food security day. On this day the LDF would take out a march to the FCI godown in the city. Marches will be taken out at the districts- level under the aegis of the LDF districts committees. He said a serious situation was prevailing in the Public Distribution System.
The LDF wanted the government to distribute 35 kg of food grains at the rate of Rs 2 per kg per month to all belonging to both BPL and APL families.
Asked whether they had discussed the stand-off between the CPM and the CPI, he said that the LDF was united and no such talks were held in the meeting.
The meeting, presided over by Panniyan Ravindran, condoled the death of former minister and RSP leader K Pankajakshan and those who were killed in the gas tanker acident at Chala in Kannur