The Navakerala Sadas, a State-wide public outreach programme by the LDF government, drew to a close in Kottayam district on Thursday. On the final day, the Ministers addressed the events held at Kaduthuruthy and Vaikom, before leaving for Alappuzha in the evening. Addressing these functions, the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan touched upon various issues ranging from the crisis in the rubber sector to the challenges in the financial front and growth in the industrial sector.
Speaking at Kaduthuruthy, Mr. Vijayan accused the Union government of adopting a hostile stance towards rubber farmers. “The Centre has turned a blind eye to our repeated demands to increase the support price of rubber. The State government, on its part, has kick-started steps to set up a company for the development of the rubber sector,” he said.
Financial squeezing
At Vaikom, Mr. Vijayan elaborated on the financial squeezing of the State by the Centre. “We have been able to increase our domestic revenue and per capita income positively through sound financial management. The funds due from the Centre, however, are yet to be made available,” he said.
The government received as many as 3,856 petitions from Kaduthuruthy and 7,667 memorandums from Vaikom. After the event at Vaikom, the team crossed Vembanad Lake on board the solar boat Aditya to enter Alappuzha. The team of Ministers had begun their visit to Kottayam from Poonjar on December 12.
