THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader
Ramesh Chennithala alleged on Wednesday that the rhythm of flood relief activities was affected after chief minister left for the US for a three-week long treatment without handing over charge to a cabinet colleague.
"I'm not against the chief minister going to the US for treatment. Such options should be explored, if necessary. But his decision of not giving charge to a member of his cabinet is leading to administrative crisis. EP Jayarajan has only been designated to chair the cabinet meeting. The routine weekly cabinet meeting did not take place on Wednesday. The cabinet should have assessed the flood relief activities," he said at the programme-Post flood Kerala- organized by
Thiruvananthapuram Press Club.
On similar occasions in the past, former chief ministers had handed over the charge to a cabinet colleague of their choice when they went abroad for expert medical treatment, he said.
Chennithala alleged that the war of words between finance minister TM Thomas Isaac and PWD minister G Sudhakaran over relief activities in
Kuttanad was an example of infighting in the Pinarayi cabinet.
The opposition leader said it would still be practically impossible to accept all recommendations of Gadgil or Kasturirangan committee on protection of
Western Ghats. "Government should carry out a fresh scientific study and mark areas where large-scale construction should be restricted in future. Flood and landslide-prone areas should be marked. We should not forget the lesson we learnt from this flood," he said.
Chennithala said government shouldn't have accepted KPMG's offer to prepare a rehab road map for flood-hit Kerala. "Government should have invited a global tender and selected the most-competent agency. We need not engage an agency just because they agreed to prepare a key report free of cost," he said.
Chennithala also wanted government to stop pestering government employees and traders in the name of fund collection.
Ramesh Chennithala
