Cong, BJP flay governor's address

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress-led UDF and BJP today flayed Kerala Governor P Sathasivam's speech in the Assembly highlighting LDF government's policies, saying it was a disappointment and lacked concrete plans to address fundamental issues of the state.

While UDF alleged there was nothing new in the address and majority of the projects listed were old and existing ones, BJP called it as disappointment.

"The policy address does not have any indication about the government's plans to control soaring price hike," Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala told reporters.

"On the Mullaperiyar issue, what we want is the construction of a new dam and not fresh studies. The government's stand is not to protect the interest of the state," he alleged.

Besides Chennithala, IUML leader and former Industries and IT minister P K Kunhalikutty and ex-finance minister and KC(M) supremo K M Mani also criticised the address and said there were no plans in it to solve any of the fundamental problems of the state.

BJP state President Kummanom Rajasekharan said the address lacked constructive projects to rejuvenate the withered financial condition of the state.

"The policy address was a disappointment. The government failed to announce any constructive projects for the comprehensive development of the state," he said.

The announcement that the government would promote private investors was a deviation from the CPI(M)-led LDF's earlier stand, he said.

The BJP leader also criticised the government for not mentioning about its liquor policy in the address.