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Kochi, Oct 30 (IANS) Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and MLA Sunny Joseph on Thursday said the record of the Pinarayi Vijayan administration is one of “broken promises, deception and indifference” towards the people of Kerala. He accused the Left government of burdening citizens with excessive taxes by making hollow announcements ahead of the local body elections.
Joseph dismissed Vijayan’s latest welfare announcements as a “political gimmick” aimed at misleading voters.
He said, “If the Chief Minister is really honest, he should start by implementing the promises made in his 2021 election manifesto. For four and a half years, the government made no efforts to fulfill them. Now, on the eve of elections, it wants to fool the people again.”
Joseph said the government has failed to fulfill two key promises – increasing the social welfare pension to Rs 2,500 and setting the rubber support price at Rs 250 per kg.
“Even when the then Kottayam MP Thomas Chazhikadan raised the issue during the Nav Kerala House, the Chief Minister chose to stay away from it,” he said, demanding that both the promises be implemented with retrospective effect.
He also criticized the government’s “selective generosity”, saying that although it had approved substantial salary hikes for PSC members and government lawyers, it ignored the demands of Asha workers and delayed payment of dues of state employees.
“The government has continuously increased land taxes, building taxes, permit fees, electricity and water charges and even bus fares. It has imposed additional cess on fuel, increasing the burden on the common people,” Joseph said.
Joseph alleged that “these measures coupled with flawed fiscal policies have led to rising prices of essential commodities.” Joseph alleged that the government’s economic and administrative failures had deepened the public crisis.
He said that despite repeated protests by the opposition inside and outside the Assembly, the administration has refused to address the concerns of the people.
–IANS
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