BJP protests against alleged neglect to capital district in state budget

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: What Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac presented in the Assembly was not a state budget but a district budget for Alappuzha, BJP MLA O Rajagopal has alleged. He was speaking at the Secretariat blockade organised by the party’s district unit to protest the alleged neglect shown towards the capital district in the state budget.

“It is the duty of the government to carry out development activities and ensure adequate facilities for the people. However, the state budget has totally ignored the capital district,” Rajagopal said. The veteran leader said the land acquisition for the proposed railway terminal at Nemom has reached nowhere. The lackadaisical attitude of the state government is the reason for the tardy progress in the project, Rajagopal said. The LDF government will have to give answers before the public, he added.

Apart from the development works in the capital using the Union government’s assistance, the LDF government has done nothing for the capital, BJP district president VV Rajesh said. Successive governments have done nothing to address the waste management issues facing the capital, he said.

Senior BJP leader K Raman Pillai, BJP spokesperson M S Kumar, state vice president P V Vava,  state secretaries J Padmakumar, C Sivkankutty and national council member Karamana Jayan were among the other leaders who spoke. OBC Morcha state president Punchakkari Surendran and SC Morcha state president P Sudheer were also present.