THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF government led by Pinarayi Vijayan has not passed the test in its 100 days in office even if moderation marks are awarded,according to Ramesh Chennithala,Opposition leader in Kerala.'' Did V S Achuthanandan have any good words for the government ? Did any coalition partner or the CPI secretary have aired such an opinion ?'',he asked,while addressing a news conference here today,coinciding with the century days' crossing of the government.
''Even the LDF convenor is at a loss to hail the government's performance'',he noted.''The government is a prisoner of its ineptitude'',Ramesh charged.''What is boasted as the achievements of the new government are development initiatives rolled out by the former UDF government only. The former government had brought 34 lakh new beneficiaries under the net of social welfare schemes and the government has converted the distribution of pension to them as a CPM mela now '',Ramesh reiterated.
The opposition leader equated chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on autocratic ways of functioning and centralisation of all powers with him.''The chief minister is unwilling to meet the media and the government holds back information sought by the public under RTI Act.The government is remaining idle over the scenario wherein the media is barred from reporting court matters'',Ramesh pointed out and sought the intervention of the CPM central leadership and prevail upon the state government to initiate corrective measures.
''Pinarayi Vijayan has stated while assuming office that employees should not forget that every government file represents the lives of the people. Files are piling up in his office and other ministers now as never before,as it will be cleared only after nod came from the AKG centre'',he blamed.''I would like to remind the fate of former Bengal chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya on the Singrur land deal with the Tatas,which has been quashed by the supreme court'',he said.
Ramesh said that the LDF government had landed in a soup with a bevy of advisers.''Finance minister Thomas Issac is yet to comment on the economic adviser of the chief minister'',he said.''The public is interested to know whether the delay in appointing V S Achuthanandan as the chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission was owing to the schism in the party''.
People are not pinning any hope on the new government now,while reeling under the imposing of fresh taxes totalling Rs 805 crores and heavy duties for registration of family partition deeds, Ramesh said,adding that a rudderless,partisan police remaining under pressure from the CPM is making life miserable.
Compounding it is the soaring prices of essential commodities,as the government has totally failed in effective market intervention,he said.