UDF policy not just protesting blindly: Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 1 (UNI) Making it clear that the Congress-led United Democratic Front's policy was not just to criticise or protest against issues, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Oommen Chandy today said the UDF has a much bigger responsibility towards the people of the state.

''We do not have a policy of protesting blindly. The pros and cons have to be weighed before any decision is taken,'' he told a meet-the-press programme here, organised by the Kesari Journalists Trust.

Taking a dig at the Left Democratic Front government in the state, he said the only function that was now going on was disbursement of salary of government employees.

Noting that the the state's development had not been affected with the change of regimes of the UDF and the LDF, he said political parties should join hands in all the spheres that was possible for development.

Pointing out that the only difference between the UDF and the LDF was in their policies and not in their activities, he said the LDF was implementing some of the programmes that were brought in by the UDF. The LDF which was against computerisation, Smart City project and IT were now actively involved in them, he said.

Welcoming the Vigilance inquiry into the laxity in tsunami fund usage, Mr Chandy pointed out that the commission which looked into it had said that tsunami fund was diverted for other purposes.

The meet-the-press-programme was organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the State's formation.

''In all the spheres of development, Kerala was facing crisis.

In the traditional sector, we have failed to bring in modernisation.

In the IT sector, though Kerala had a growth of 62 per cent, the revenue was just Rs 800 crore compared to Karnataka's revenue of Rs 36,000 crore,'' he said.

UNI