LDF playing spoilsport on ADB after including it in Plan

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 22 (UNI) The Congress in Kerala today said the Left Democratic Front was playing 'spoilsport' on the ADB loan for Urban development in the state after it was included in the plan purview for the next financial year.

''The LDF is meeting today to finalise the ADB loan. But after including it in the annual plan of the state, the LDF is only trying to fool the people of the state,'' Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here.

There was no sense in today's LDF meeting to finalise the ADB loan as it had already been decided at the meeting between the state government and the Planning Board, he said adding it was only an eye-wash.

Pointing out that the Left had made no strategic changes in the agreement with the ADB, Mr Chennithala claimed that it was in toto with the former Congress-led United Democratic Front government's agreement with the Asian Bank.

Before taking the loan, the Left should apologise to the people of Kerala for staging anti-ADB protests and creating a state of anarchy for three years, he added.

The Left Democratic Front is meeting today to discuss on the conditions agreed upon between the state and the ADB. The state's annual plan had been agreed at Rs 6,950 crore after a discussion between Chief Minister V S Achutanandan and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi. Mr Achutanandan had then said that the inclusion of ADB in the plan purview would be subject to approval of the LDF.

Referring to the Devaswom Board and Higher Education ordinances, Mr Chennithala said ordinances were promulgated only in exceptional cases and bringing in ordinances every now and then was against ''parliamentary spirit.'' He also alleged that the LDF was trying to rope in all educational institutions in the state by bringing in Higher Education Bill.

The proposed Higher Education Council bill would not only affect the independence of universities but also affect the autonomous nature of the universities, he noted.

On the controversy involving CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the ammunition incident, Mr Chennithala said ''it is a fit case for registering a case against him under the Arms Act.'' UNI