LDF walkout over alleged stalemate in plan projects

Denying the Opposition charge, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said government had only strengthened local bodies and assured the house that plan expenditure would touch an all time high this year.

He said a decision had been taken for local bodies to present a five-year plan project instead of a one-year plan for better implementation of schemes. "This year being the first year of the change, some minor problems have cropped up, but they have been rectified," he said.

Minister for Pancyahats and Social Welfare M K Muneer said the changes were qualitative and scrapping of the Technical Advisory Committee to approve schemes prepared by local bodies was for speedy implementation of projects.

Seeking leave for an adjournment motion on the issue, former Finance Minister Thomas Issac said UDF government has virtually brought back 'official raj' for plan implementation, contrary to the spirit of decentralisation envisaged by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Speaker G Karthikeyan disallowed leave for the motion after the Chief Minister's reply.

Before the walkout, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan alleged that Chandy and Muneer were misleading the house and the people of the state.