Kerala Congress slams LDF for Rs 100 crore spending on anniversary celebrations

Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS

The Congress in Kerala came down heavily on the CPIM-led LDF government for organising a month-long celebration to mark its fourth year in power. Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan alleged that the state government has spent over Rs 100 crore on the anniversary events, calling it “irresponsible” at a time when the state is facing a financial crunch.

“The state government is facing a financial crunch, but they don’t hesitate to spend lavishly on their events. We have boycotted the celebrations. I am sure, when the month-long celebrations end, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be a laughing figure before the public,” Satheesan said.

In response, State Finance Minister KN Balagopal defended the decision, stating that the government has a duty to communicate its achievements to the public. “We are not overspending. Where is this lavish spending? Compared to other states, our expenses for public relations and advertising are very less. When the opposition and BJP claim the government hasn’t done anything, we must tell the people what we have done,” he said.

The fourth anniversary celebrations were inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday in Kasaragod and will continue till May 30. As part of the event, the Chief Minister will travel to all the district headquarters, chairing meetings in each district with a selected group of 500 people.

These meetings will be held across Wayanad, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kottayam, Palakkad, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kannur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.

BJP’s Kerala state unit president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in a Facebook post on Sunday, slammed the government’s preparations for the month-long fourth anniversary celebration. In the post, Chandrasekhar said that the 10-year rule of Kerala’s LDF would be remembered as a “lost decade.”

He described Pinarayi Vijayan’s track record over the years as “abysmal,” alleging that the government had gone bankrupt and was surviving only on borrowings, which made it unable to pay pensions and wages to Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers.

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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA