God’s own

God’s own

The Kerala Govt would do well to address certain pressing issues, and not add any more.

Water, water, every where / Nor any drop to drink” would sum up the first 100 days of the Pinarayi Vijayan Government. The CPI(M)-led LDF was voted back to power with an enhanced majority in April 2021. Vijayan and his team were sworn in on May 20 amid big festivities because it was the first time in the last four decades a ruling front was returned to power and, that too, with increased vote share and seats. But the first 100 days of the second term, usually described as the “honeymoon phase” of the administration, was not smooth for Vijayan and his comrades. Controversies were haunting the Government from day one. The State was in a lockdown mode because of unabated hike in COVID-19 cases when the Government assumed office. Since then, the number of cases is on an upswing with the State contributing more than 50 per cent of the national tally. Even at this time, the Government doctors are staging a protest to highlight their grievances which should be addressed without delay. There is a shortage of 1,000 doctors in Government hospitals to attend to COVID cases.

The exodus of entrepreneurs is a serious issue. An industrial group employing more than 12,000 workers was forced to pull down shutters. This happens at a time when the employment exchanges in Kerala have a backlog of 45 lakh educated unemployed. This Government’s second term began on a sour note as hundreds of unemployed youth who have been listed in the rank lists of Public Service Commission took to the streets demanding they be appointed at the earliest lest the lists lose validity. But the most embarrassing issues haunting the Government in days to come would be the scams associated with cooperative banks and the massive deforestation that happened during the final stages of the previous administration. According to bank auditors, the sector has been drained off `75,000 crore with political patronage. Environmentalists allege that exquisite and rare trees worth `1 lakh crore have been smuggled out of reserve forests during the LDF rule. There were some controversies from which the Government could have stayed off. The move to withdraw the case against MLAs for the indecent behaviour in 2015 and the Chief Minister’s attempt to whitewash the Mappila Rebellion of 1921 could be described at the best as self-goals.