Centre showing political discrimination towards Kerala: AICC gen secy K C Venugopal
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Thursday accused the Centre of political discrimination towards Kerala for not granting the amount sought for rehabilitation of disaster-hit Wayanad.
Venugopal, also the MP from Alappuzha, said that the two Union Ministers of State -- Suresh Gopi and George Kurian -- should clarify whether they are satisfied with this approach of the central government towards Kerala.
In a statement, the Congress leader also took a dig at Gopi, asking whether he has the courage to hold a public meeting in the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad.
Gopi has been holding public meetings in various parts of the state, most recently in Alappuzha district.
He said that the two union ministers should clarify whether they have any sympathy, concern or interest towards the disaster-affected people of Wayanad who are being "ignored and excluded".
He asked "will both of them be ready to correct the central stand."
Venugopal said that the Centre's discrimination was evident from the fact that the state, which asked for Rs 2,219 crore for Wayanad rehabilitation, was allocated only Rs 260.56 crore, while states like Maharashtra and Assam got Rs 1,492 crore and 1,270 crore, respectively, for reconstruction of flood-hit areas.
The AICC general secretary contended that the Centre should be ready to correct this political discrimination being shown to the people of Kerala.
He alleged that the Modi government's policy was to politically and economically destroy the people of Kerala as they do not show any inclination towards the BJP.
"The central government is economically oppressing the states that are in their opposition," he further claimed and added that the Centre was trying to subvert the federal structure of the country.
Venugopal said that the people of Wayanad have the right to get the financial assistance they deserve and the Centre should adopt a humane approach in the matter.
Meanwhile, the BJP state unit thanked the PM for the Rs 260.56 crore allocated for Wayanad rehabilitation and claimed that it was a great relief to the affected families there.
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in a press release, said that this amount was in addition to the Rs 682.5 crore provided by the Centre earlier.
He said that this indicates the commitment of the Modi government towards the people of Wayanad.
Chandrasekhar further said that not just Wayanad, but the flood problems in Thiruvananthapuram due to heavy rains was also considered by the Centre and it was decided to include the state capital in the Rs 2,444 crore National Urban Flood Risk Management Plan.
"The central government has always taken steps to combine development and provision. We will definitely provide help and support to the places where it is needed. The BJP and the central government are always with the people of Kerala," he added.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
