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LDF government's self-congratulatory progress report cannot fool people: Satheesan

LDF government's self-congratulatory progress report cannot fool people: Satheesan

The Hindu24-05-2025

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Saturday accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of misleading the public with a progress report that praises itself while ignoring glaring failures.
Addressing a press conference in Kottayam, Mr. Satheesan said the LDF government's fourth anniversary report released by the government 'hides more than it reveals.' 'The progress report was drafted before the national highways began to crumble. Those who once took credit for these projects are now nowhere to be seen. If they went to the damaged spots and shot a few reels, that would at least be somewhat useful,' he quipped, in an apparent reference to Minister for Public Works P.A. Mohamed Riyas.
He also demanded a comprehensive investigation into allegations of corruption in the construction of National Highway 66, along with inquiries into lapses in engineering supervision and the questionable awarding of sub-contracts.
Financial woes
Mr. Satheesan also dismissed the Chief Minister's recent assertion that there was no financial crisis in the State. 'If that is true, then why hasn't the government paid the Medical Services Corporation Ltd, Supplyco, ASHA workers, or mid-day meal kitchen staff?' he asked.
Citing dues of ₹60,000 crore in salary arrears, unpaid bills in the Jal Jeevan Mission and the loss incurred by KSEB, Mr. Satheesan alleged widespread financial mismanagement. 'Rubber support price has remained low, while procurement of paddy and coconuts has failed. The coastal and high-range development packages, which were announced with much fan-fare, remain unimplemented,' he said.
The Opposition leader also exuded confidence about the United Democratic Front (UDF)'s prospects in the upcoming local body elections and held that it is poised for a significant victory.

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