UDF demands white paper on state's finance position

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 18 (UNI) Taking serious note of Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan's statement that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was responsible for the grave financial crisis the state was facing, Opposition leader Oommen Chandy today asked the government to come out with a white paper on the state's finances.

'The Chief Minister is trying to put the whole blame on the previous UDF government. We have asked the government to come out with a white paper on finances, which they are not willing,' he told reporters here.

Once the white paper was out, Mr Chandy said, the reality would be known, which the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government feared.

'If the previous UDF government led by me was responsible for this financial position, let them bring it out. We do not fear anything and the people should know the truth,' he said.

When the new LDF government came to power, the balance in the treasury was Rs 290 crore. Moreover, public debts rose only by 88 per cent during the UDF government while it had gone up by 137 per cent during the previous LDF government's rule.

Condemning the government's proposal to bring in an ordinance to control goondas, Mr Chandy said the move to include two others, competent to become a High Court judge, apart from a sitting judge, in the three-member advisory committee to decide if there was sufficient ground to book a person was politically motivated.

The UDF, when it brought such an Ordinance, wanted three sitting judges. But the LDF had opted for only one sitting judge to lead the committee, Mr Chandy said.

On Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's statement to this effect, he said 'the sitting judge will lead and politicians will rule.' UNI