THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government entering the fifth year, it has been a mixed bag in terms of hits and misses. While the CM and the ruling CPM wax eloquent on its achievements, the main Opposition Congress and the BJP have been less than enthused by the administration’s showing
Three natural calamities, two global pandemics and a severe socio-political crisis to boot. No other elected government in Kerala’s living memory has gone through such tumult. Yet the Pinarayi Vijayan government, entering its fifth year of governance, could make a difference though it has had its own share of lapses and flaws. As former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy chose to put it, crisis management is what shows the real calibre of any government.
"Four years is a short period in a state’s trajectory, but the last four years were historic as far as Kerala is concerned, in terms of setting the bar as the number one state in India," is how Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sees it.
Undoubtedly, the LDF government stood out for its assertiveness in bringing in major infrastructure developments, be it GAIL, Koodamkulam power line, K-FON or National Highway projects. It however failed to seize the opportunity to cash in on an eco-friendly approach to development, post the devastating 2018 flood.
While KIIFB could be termed the LDF government’s best innovation that brought a paradigm shift in development, the ambitious Rebuild Kerala project is still struggling to live up to expectations. A quick recap shows that poor handling of the 2016 Cyclone Ockhi was the first goof-up, which might have led to better preparedness for the back-to-back flood in 2018 and 2019. But it failed to ensure an eco-friendly development model, post the deluge.
Undoubtedly, the 2018 Sabarimala fiasco was the biggest socio-political crisis that the government encountered so far. “A government should never take sides, as far as religious beliefs are concerned. We should follow the court verdict. But this does not mean one should rush to bring people from their homes to implement the verdict,” says Oommen Chandy.
Infrastructure development, especially the GAIL pipeline, was a big-ticket project that failed to take off, solely because of the previous government’s weak approach. Soon after coming to office, Pinarayi sent out a clear message that the project will be implemented.
"In the state’s recent history, there has been no other chief minister who could and would readily take a call on important matters, without needing to consult anyone, even from the party. This was evident in initiating infrastructure development projects. However, as far as administration is concerned, a ‘Jacob Thomas effect’ is unfortunately evident among bureaucrats even now," said a top official, on condition of anonymity.
The LDF government has a vision to develop Kerala into a prime investment destination and was hence able to ensure infrastructure development, says CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. One of the major achievements of the Left government was ushering in a new political culture.
"The state was going through political tussles, involving the CPM, the RSS, the Muslim League(IUML) and the Congress. A decision was made to resolve these issues through bilateral talks. The CPM announced that the party will refrain from such activities. Such government intervention was crucial," observed Kodiyeri.
“As far as crises and natural calamities are concerned, the government didn’t fumble. It could ensure disaster management through people’s participation which added a new perspective to the matter,” says Kodiyeri. He also feels that in the final year, the government should focus on its new initiatives like Rebuild Kerala and food safety projects.
However, former chief minister Oommen Chandy begs to differ. “Crises are what define a government. The government couldn’t rise to the expectations on any of these issues,” he said. Referring to his handling of the 2004 tsunami, Chandy says the Left government could have handled Ockhi and the subsequent floods in a better manner. As far as COVID-19 is concerned, though the government could do something in the initial phase, later on, it fumbled in its suport of Malayalis outside the state.
He feels that the death of Keralite expats, especially in Gulf countries, could have been avoided. “In the second phase of the lockdown, the government should have helped bring back Malayalis based in other states by train and bus. In the third phase, we should have brought back Keralites from abroad. This way, several lives would have been saved,” he added. Entering its final year, it’s time for the LDF government to deliver on its remaining promises. With two elections coming up in 2020 and 2021, the Pinarayi government could opt for a more cautious approach so as not to rock the electoral boat.
2,19,154 homes have been completed under LIFE Mission
Moving towards a homeless-free Kerala Public education mission - Pothu Vidyabhyasa Samrakshana Yajnam - transformed public schools to hi-tech schools attracting 500,000 students
Rs 3,000 crore worth of infrastructure in government hospitals through Aardram Mission. Specialty and super specialty facilities at Taluk and district-level hospitals.
Haritha Keralam Mission rejuvenated 390 km of rivers. Increased area under agriculture
KIIFB took up projects worth E54,391 crore
Growth in power infrastructure with Koodamkulam power line, Transgrid 2.0 project and GAIL
K-FON to provide faster internet at affordable rates and decentralise IT infrastructure
Industrial corridor, completion of Petrochemical Park and Vizhinjam Port will be some other landmark initiatives
Rebuild Kerala Initiative to augment state’s capacity to face future challenges
Spent Rs 23,409 crore on welfare pensions as against Rs 9,270 core spent during the UDF government’s tenure
Title deeds given to 1,43,000 people