THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the LDF government can boast of many achievements including social security measures, progress in NH development, GAIL pipeline, significant success in health and education sectors during its 1000 days in office, the brutal murder of two youths in Kasargod and slow pace of post flood rebuild Kerala initiative have cast a shadow over the week long celebrations.
One of the biggest challenges before the government is to expedite rebuild Kerala project. Encroachments in Munnar, reining in killer gangs, making the four mega missions; Life, Ardram, Haritha Keralam and Education rejuvenation more effective on the ground and sustaining its campaign on Sabarimala issue are some of other major tasks at hand.
Planning Board member Dr Ravi Raman said transformation in education and health sector was fantastic. What could be the reason for people having increased confidence in medical colleges and health department institutions? he asked.
The sharp increase in enrollment of students in government schools especially after the state had witnessed alarming dropout rate, is hugely significant. “This also signifies two things. Change should be understood in terms of its potentiality and that potentiality is being experimented in several domains education, health and migrant labour markets,” he said.
IT expert and political observer Joseph C Mathew lauded government’s firm stand on Sabarimala issue. “If you give an impression that SC order can be set aside by some groups of people, it would have sent a wrong message. May be in their public speeches, the Left leaders could have been little more diplomatic,” he said.
But on the other fronts, the performance is dismal. “LDF has deviated from Left's development paradigm. On mega projects like NH and GAIL people need to be taken into confidence. Disaster management remains a problem area and post flood rehabilitation is lagging,” he said.
Mr Mathew said the brutal killings of Youth Congress leaders in Kasargod have raised serious questions about the CPM politics.
Former state finance commission chairman B A Prakash said the government had failed miserably in managing state’s finances. “Severe treasury restrictions during last one month, restrictions on passing bills of more than Rs 1 lakh, substantial fall in revenue earnings point to the crisis. All symptoms and evidences suggest the state is heading towards acute fiscal crisis,” he said.
The government had out-rightly rejected financial crisis charge. The restrictions had not impacted medicine procurement, schemes under Life Mission, salaries, pension and welfare pension.
Many say with just two years left, the LDF Government will have do some serious introspection and chart out its future course.
