Ignoring people’s issues will reflect in Thrikkakara bypoll: Chandy

KOCHI: The Thrikkakara bypoll result will be a warning to the state’s regime that is ignoring people’s issues, former chief minister Oommen Chandy said here on Monday. Inaugurating the UDF conference in Thrikkakara, the senior Congress leader said, “The government is not ready to disclose the details of the SilverLine project. The chief minister and others are saying that the project would cost Rs 64,000 crore. But the Niti Aayog has indicated that the project requires Rs 1.24 crore for its completion.”

Chandy said the CPM and the LDF had always opposed development in the state. He also pointed out that former chief minister K Karunakaran’s name continues to be remembered for development initiatives like the Kochi airport, Goshree bridges and the international stadium in Kaloor. 

“It was A K Antony who set up self-financing colleges in the state during his term. But the CPM was up in arms against it and five youths were killed during the protests. Now, they are the ambassadors of self-financing courses,” Chandy said.

Leader  of Opposition V D Satheesan, who presided over the meeting, challenged the LDF to an open debate on development issues. “The government, which failed to provide KSRTC a sum of `200 crore, is highlighting the SilverLine project, which could cost `2 lakh crore, as a major development initiative,” he said. 

Satheesan said the LDF government has temporarily stopped laying survey stones for SilverLine in the wake of the Thrikkakara bypoll. “This is like the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre which stops hiking fuel prices during elections,” he said. UDF convenor M M Hassan said the bypoll will be an assessment of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government.