THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition UDF boycotted Health Minister K K Shylaja’s speech and Assembly proceedings at the end of a standoff on Tuesday with the government, demanding Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement instead of Shylaja’s, on an adjournment motion over the High Court’s adverse remarks on the self-financing medical admissions and fees issue. At the start of the question hour, UDF members – barring Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala – were on their feet targeting Shylaja. They also chided Pinarayi for not asking the ‘inept’ minister to put in her papers or say “get out” if she did not yield. The UDF pounced on Shylaja again during question hour. Though V D Satheesan’s notice for an adjournment motion, highlighting chaos with regard to self-financing medical admissions and fees and the High Court blasting the same, demanded a reply from Pinarayi, the latter asked Shylaja to give an explanation which infuriated the Opposition benches.
Chennithala said there was no point in hearing Shylaja and Pinarayi should speak on the court observations as it was directed against the government. “The notice was given to the Chief Minister, not the Health Minister. The latter repeatedly attracted adverse observations of the court and a damning judgment for nepotism and favouritism in appointing the State Child Rights Commission members,” Chennithala said
Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan said he could not intervene in the government’s prerogative on who should give a reply. He said Shylaja was duty-bound and rightfully entitled to reply on the topic and the Chief Minister would speak if necessary. When Shylaja commenced her reply, UDF legislators rushed to the Speaker’s podium. Amid the Opposition’s sloganeering and counter cries by the treasury benches, Shylaja said all was well with the self-financing medical seats allotment so far and it will be completed by August 31.
Neither V D Satheesan nor Chennithala responded. As the Speaker denied permission to move the motion, a miffed Chennithala walked out with the UDF team and joined the legislators who were sitting on an indefinite satyagraha in front of the main entrance of the Assembly hall demanding Shylaja’s resignation.
G100-crore worth crops damaged in rain
T’Puram: Nearly D100-crore worth of crops have been damaged by the south-west monsoon this year, says the data presented by the Agriculture Department in the Assembly. The August 16 report has pegged the total losses so far at D95,36,64,964. Altogether, 26,455 farmers in 7,801.92 hectares in 14 districts have been hit, Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar said in a written reply. The assistance proposed by the government stands at D41.73 crore. Crop damage in Malappuram was D24.68 crore, affecting 4,538 farmers. Wayanad reported crop damage of D11.37 crore, while Kozhikode, Palakkad and Ernakulam have pegged losses at D9.39 crore, D9.63 crore and D9.04 crore, respectively. Deficient monsoons last year and the drought which followed had caused crop loss to the tune of D875 crore.