THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If there was a general feeling that the Opposition would pent up the Bar and Solar issues on the last day of the brief session of the Assembly which ended on Thursday, and corner the government, everyone was in for a surprise. Right from the beginning of the last day’s business, barring a walkout when Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan locked horns with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, a cordial note prevailed in the House and ended peacefully. There was a mention of the letter row in the Congress involving Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala by Opposition Deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, but with the minister refuting the charges, a normal course continued.
The Opposition, even when raising the delay in implementation of the Pay Commission report through a notice for an adjournment motion, was not eager to stage a walkout but only heaped blame upon the government and participated in the proceedings. When Chief Minister Oommen Chandy made it clear in unequivocal terms that the recommendations will be implemented by next January end or in the first week of February, the Opposition could not whip up the topic much more.
Achuthanandan tried to inflict damage upon the government by trying to establish that flat builders were favoured by slashing the per square feet licence fee imposed for buildings above 35 metres. Both the Home Minister and the Chief Minister batted, by turn, to counter the Opposition Leader, who had brought the issue as a submission.
The Opposition Leader’s suggestion to constitute a House panel to go into alleged corruption in lieu of favours granted for builders was rejected outright by the Chief Minister. He left the Opposition agitated by stating that the government had only rectified an anomaly and is not willing to yield. There was a feeling that the House proceedings may be disrupted, while the Opposition Leader announced a walkout in a huff in protest against the CM’s stand. A large number of submissions, which were listed against the names of Left legislators also, mostly on local issues in their constituencies, forced them to troop back to the House soon.
V S Sunil Kumar of the CPI viewed the micro-finance initiatives of castiest and religious organisations in the state as an attempt to make believers slaves. Raju Abraham of the CPM asserted that the price support scheme in vogue for natural rubber is a flop, as growers are yet to get the assured financial assistance.
The last day was also marked with worthy discussions on the Malayalam Language Bill and legislation to ensure the welfare of Non-resident Indian (Keralites) as well as the Urban-Village Planning.
The Bar and Solar scams, which wafted in the House at the beginning and the Opposition tempo over it, found tapering as the session progressed, had evidently ended as nothing more than a storm in the tea cup for the ruling front.