LDF to decide on parliament protest: CM

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 (UNI) Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today said the Left Democratic Front will take a final decision on his proposed plan to stage a sit-in in front of Parliament on August 20, along with his Cabinet colleagues and coalition leaders, to register protest against the Centre's ''neglect'' to the state''.

''The MPs from the state have already started their protest in and outside Parliament. The LDF has said that it would take a decision soon on the sit-in,'' he told reporters here.

About Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Omman Chandy's statement that the Centre had given all that the state had demanded, he said ''Mr Chandy was hiding facts even though he knew it.'' ''As it is the Congress-led government at the Centre, what can Congress leaders like Mr Chandy say? Moreover, all the MPs from the state, including senior Congress leaders Thennala Balakrishnan and Union Minister Vayalar Ravi are protesting against the Centre's neglect in Parliament. If Mr Chandy's words were to be taken into account, then these Congress MPs should not have protested, '' he quipped.

''It should also be noted that Mr Chandy was among the delegation which met the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding the state's demands,'' he said.

About the National Calamity Contingency Fund of Rs 50 crore as monsoon relief from the Centre, Mr Achuthanadan said the government had not received any communication from the Centre ragarding the amount as claimed by Mr Chandy.

Mr Chandy had claimed that the Prime Minister had told him and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Ramesh Chennithala about the release of Rs 50 crore as monsoon relief.

He said CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, on hearing about the proposed protest, had asked him to wait and promised to take up the issue with the Prime Minister.

''Mr Karat said Dr Singh had promised to release Rs 50 crore before the Central Team arrived the state to assess the monsoon-related damage. But, the next day there were reports quoting Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala that the amount was released because of their intervention, '' he added.

UNI