Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court and the Congress have expressed differing opinions about the week-long cultural event Keraleeyam 2023, which came to an end here on Tuesday, despite Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s praise for it.
In a statement to the media on Wednesday, Vijayan described the seven-day event as an enormous success.
“Since the opposition boycotted the event this time, you (the media) ought to invite them again. During a seminar, even Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar praised Kerala’s accomplishments, particularly in the area of local governance, according to Vijayan.
“We’ve made the decision that this will now happen every year. For the event next year, we have already started the planning process,” Vijayan continued.
Opposition Congress leader V.D. Satheesan, however, took a different stance, stating that an astounding Rs 27 crore had been spent to host the event and that “we wish to know what good it brought”.
“Vijayan needs to explain to the people why this extravagance is necessary, particularly now that the state is completely impoverished. There are no food items available in the state government’s fair price shops for the underprivileged and marginalized segments of society. Although Vijayan claims everything is OK, the social welfare pensions are all behind schedule, according to Satheesan.
Chief Secretary V. Venu informed the Kerala High Court earlier on Wednesday during the hearing of a petition regarding the outstanding pension due to former workers of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) that the state’s dire financial situation is the reason for the delay.
In response, the court stated that solving the issues facing the populace should take precedence over celebrations. It further stated that the Chief Secretary and the MD of KSRTC will need to be consulted if the pension due to KSRTC employees is not paid by the end of the month.
