Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Sunday alleged that the LDF government’s inauguration of the Wayanad township for the landslide victims was a strategic move designed to mislead the public ahead of the Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference in Kochi on Sunday, Satheesan said Phase I inauguration of the township on March 1, which provided keys to 178 families, was a political gimmick to mask the government’s delays and administrative failures.
Responding to recent reports about cracks and leaks in the houses built for the landslide victims and the visit of Revenue Minister K Rajan to assess the situation, he said the minister is not an expert to examine construction issues and that such assessments should be carried out by engineers.
Satheesan also claimed that the project’s inauguration was premature, as construction had not yet been finalized.
He accused the LDF of using the township as a propaganda tool to influence voters, highlighting that the inauguration was timed precisely to coincide with the election campaign.
Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan on Saturday visited the houses constructed at the Wayanad rehabilitation township for the 2024 Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslide survivors, following media reports about cracks in two houses of the 178 houses completed in the first phase.
After an on-site inspection, Revenue Minister Rajan clarified that the reported issues were merely minor water seepage marks on the terrace. The houses have not yet been formally handed over to the survivors, and only land titles have been distributed.
As regards the probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the Sabarimala gold loot case, Satheesan asserted that the inquiry would yield no meaningful results. “All the accused have been released from jail. Now, there may not be any evidence left in the case,” he alleged.
He further alleged that the ED would not carry out a rigorous investigation into matters involving the LDF government and the CPM.