Thiruvananthapuram: Marking the start of its month-long anniversary celebrations in Kerala’s Kasaragod district, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government Monday showcased key developmental milestones, including eradication of poverty, expansion of Panvel-Kanyakumari National Highway, and the ambitious Kovalam-Bekal waterway project.
The celebrations, marking four years of LDF’s second consecutive term, come ahead of crucial local body elections later this year and assembly polls in 2026.
“The state’s unwavering unity was crucial to overcome all challenges it faced since 2016, despite no support from the central government,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, inaugurating the events as well as the Ente Keralam exhibition and trade fair.
The exhibition showcases various initiatives and services implemented by the state government in the last nine years. Vijayan added, “We had to overcome everything–the Nipah outbreak, Cyclone Ockhi, the 2018 floods and the heavy rains of 2019. And just as we began to recover, we were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Alleging that the central government was silent even after the devastating landslides in Wayanad in 2024, Vijayan said, “If a state faces challenges, the central government should stand with them and help them. But unfortunately, we didn’t get any help in any situation”.
According to official figures, 266 people died and 32 went missing after multiple landslides struck the Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Attamala villages of Wayanad on 30 July, 2024. Though the state government requested a Rs 2,000 crore compensation package, the Centre approved a Rs 529.50 crore loan to be utilised by 31 March, 2025.
On March 26, the state government began the construction of a model township in Kalpetta’s Elston estate spread across 65 hectares for rehabilitation of survivors using Rs 712.98 crore from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and public donations.
“When the entire world thought we would not be able to recover, the entire population stood with the state government. Now the world is looking at us and asking how we did it. And the answer is the unity in the state that is strong enough to recover from anything,” Vijayan said.
The chief minister said that along with surviving, the state also witnessed many developmental projects in the past nine years of the LDF government, including completion of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipeline, and natural gas supply for domestic and industrial usage. The Kochi-Mangalore gas pipeline was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021.
“If the LDF hadn’t come to power in 2016, and if there was continuation of that power in 2021, what would have happened? We are on the way to a new Kerala. We have to do a lot more. And we need your support for it,” Vijayan said, adding that all sectors, including agriculture, education, and infrastructure, saw immense transformation under his tenure.
The chief minister also launched a book on the state government’s achievements titled Navakeralathinte Vijayamudra at the event. The celebrations that began in Kasaragod will conclude in the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, on 21 May.
The event was attended by Kerala Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, Revenue Minister K. Rajan, Minister of Sports Kadannappalli Ramachandran, among others.
Presiding over the event, Rajan said Kerala’s development strategy is rooted in equality, where everybody will benefit irrespective of the geography or economic condition.
“The second LDF government came to power in 2021 with new faces, including me. At the first cabinet meeting, the only thing the CM put forward was to uplift the extremely poor in our state. We checked how many such families there were, and it was 64,000. We didn’t give the money for education to temporarily fix it.
“We gave houses to those in need, ensured education. Before we step down, we wanted a permanent rehabilitation for them. Now we are proud to say that Kerala will be the only state in India without extreme poverty on 1 November,” Rajan said.
The Opposition in Kerala, however, boycotted the celebrations with the Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan telling reporters Saturday that the government had pushed the state into a ‘debt trap,’ and ignored weaker sections, including protesting ASHA workers.
LDF, said Satheesan, did not have the moral right to celebrate its anniversary. He also alleged that the state government was spending Rs 15 crore on the celebrations.
Nearly a hundred Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) have been protesting outside the state secretariat for more than 70 days demanding a one-time retirement benefit, hike in honorarium and clearing of pending dues. Though multiple rounds of discussions were held with the state government, the parties have yet to reach a consensus.
(Edited by Kartikay Chaturvedi)
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