LDF to urge Governor to reject Chandy govt's tax hike move

While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today asserted that the government would go ahead with its decision to hike taxes and fees, Opposition LDF decided to meet Governor P Sathasivam to urge him to reject the ordinance in this regard as the initial step of its agitation on the issue.
An LDF delegation led by Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan will meet Governor later this week to urge him not to give assent to the ordinance to be brought out by the government to give effect to the proposals to mop over Rs 2,000 crore by enhancing taxes and levies including drinking water charges.

The LDF also chalked out the course of agitation over the issue which included convening of ward-level meetings of people from October 20 to 30 to call upon them not to pay the increase in water charges and land taxes, LDF convener Vaikom Viswan told reporters.
Before that, local and district level demonstrations would be held across the length and breadth of the state.
An unfazed Chandy, however, asserted that the government would press ahead with the decision warranted by the financial difficulty faced by the state.
"If the Government could take the decision, it also knows to implement it," Chandy told reporters in Kottayam.

He rejected the reports that there were differences in the Congress and the UDF over the move. "This is a decision taken unanimously by the cabinet based on consensus within the UDF," he said.
The LDF convener accused Chandy of speaking in an "arrogant tone" on the issues raised by the opposition. He said the present financial crunch was the result of the fiscal mismanagement of the Chandy government.