Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM plenum has passed a resolution against the UDF government’s ambitious 2030 vision programme. Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that the Planning Board had prepared the plan unilaterally and that it would pave the way for the entry of big money, commercialisation and privatisation of industrial, educational and various other sectors.
However the brain behind the ‘Perspective Plan 2030’ and Planning Board member C.P. John welcomed the CPM’s move to discuss his pet project, but said he was disappointed that they did not think in terms of where Kerala has to reach in 17 years.
Kodiyeri maintained that PP 2030 is the UDF government’s neo-liberal agenda and it was the LDF which had actually demanded a long-term development agenda for the state. When Kerala is hugely dependant on agriculture sector, only two percent growth was being projected in the PP 2030.
“During 2030, the state’s income from industrial sector will reach only 10 percent from eight percent. Instead of a direct intervention, the UDF government has been trying to encourage privatisation. It should have been a regulator as well as taking steps to assist the industrial sector,” the resolution said.
It also says that Kerala’s economic growth was achieved during 1980s according to the studies when it was stagnant in the 70s. But it was consumer-related as well as real estate-oriented. However, the second International Kerala Study Congress held in 2005 was initiated to correct this development model.
But John told DC that PP 2030 is a mere draft where strategies and steps required to be taken are debatable and the next agenda should be where should Kerala reach in development.
“The CPM should have discussed how Kerala can achieve $ 19, 000 GDP by 2030. This is why we had compared ourselves with Norway and Finland and not US, China or Cuba. Ironically, US has the maximum number of prisoners numbering 22 lakh followed by Cuba and China. However, India has only 3, 80, 000 prisoners,” John told DC.
