Incumbent MP Shashi Tharoor, who is gunning for a fourth victory on the trot from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency at the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, has contested claims made by his rival and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, over the measures adopted to ameliorate the woes of coastal communities in the district.
Mr. Tharoor took to X to pick holes in a letter that was apparently used by Mr. Chandrasekhar to highlight the assistance that has been purportedly offered by the Centre’s Department of Fisheries to the State government to resolve issues related to harbour development projects in coastal areas.
“The BJP has blanketed coastal Pozhiyoor with posters claiming its candidate has resolved the long-standing grievances of the local people, which I have been raising in Parliament and with the Union government for more than a decade, by obtaining a letter dated 15 March from a PS to an MoS. Some have been fooled into thinking the letter does what the BJP claims it does (sic),” he posted.
The letter written by a private secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala to Mr. Chandrasekhar’s office elaborates on short-term and long-term solutions.
It stated the Ministry will provide necessary technical support to the State government through the Central Institute of Coastal Engineering of Fishery to finalise a comprehensive proposal for developing a fishing harbour/fish landing centre with need-based facilities, including groynes to provide safe landing, berthing facilities, and to protect the fishing villages of Paruthiyoor and Kollencode from sea erosion.
The Ministry has also offered to provide financial support under Pradhan Mantri Matsay Sampada to develop fishing harbour/fish landing facilities, including groynes and shelter basins, to the fishing vessels operating in the region.
Referring to the first proposal, Mr. Tharoor said the State government does not require technical assistance, but needs money. “Everyone knows how to build groynes and the Government of Kerala has the necessary expertise.”
He also takes a dim view of the offer to develop a proposal for the project. Proposals, he pointed out, have been in existence for many years. “The problem is that the Government of India has taken the view that it is the Government of Kerala’s responsibilities and that it has no obligations.”
He added the State government, “after much prodding by the local people and calls by me”, announced a plan that he had suggested and has budgeted ₹386 crore for the work. It will require ₹200 crore from the Centre.
“But neither has the State government yet made a formal request to the Centre, not has the Centre committed to any such quantum of financial assistance. Till this is done, the entire exercise is only PR.”
During a recent visit to Pozhiyoor, Mr. Chanrasekhar guaranteed to solve the “umpteen problems” of the region once and for all. He offered a “game-changing plan” and asserted his policy is based on actionable plans not hollow promises.
