Antony to raise relief aid issue

Disappointed with the "raw deal" meted out to Kerala by the Centre in the sanctioning of calamity relief assistance and the delay in approval of development projects, state Chief Minister A K Antony yesterday said he would take up the matter with Union ministers during his visit to Delhi.

Addressing a press meet after a Cabinet meeting here, Antony, who is leaving for Delhi on Thursday, said he would meet Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to discuss drought-flood relief assistance and would take up the issue of Vallarpadam International Container Terminal with Union Minister for Transport T R Baalu.

"The people of the state are concerned due to the delay in sanctio ning the international container project and I will convey the anxiety of the people to the Centre," Antony said.

"The LDF (Left Democratic Front) MPs' attitude in Parliament is not conducive to the state getting help from the Centre. They are blaming the state government for not getting Central assistance," he said adding that this would only strengthen the hands of those who wanted to deny calamity relief to the state on technical grounds.

In this context, Antony said the Centre had agreed to send a fresh team to study the situation in the state on the basis of a letter written by him to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and "not due to the LDF MPs' raising the matter in Parliament."

Seeking the cooperation of all political parties in protecting the state's interests and garnering its due share of assistance, Antony said LDF's "present attitude" would only weaken Kerala's case before the Centre.

Kerala had sought an assistance of Rs 3,847 crore to take up various relief measures, Antony said.

Taking exception to the LDF campaign that the suicide rate had gone up in the state after the UDF (United Democratic Front) came to power three years ago, Antony said though he did not want to politicise the issue, the suicide rate was high in the state during the previous LDF rule too.

Releasing the suicide data with the state crime bureau for the last eight years, Antony said Kerala stood first in the suicide rate in the country during the period.

Antony said he was releasing the data only to end the "campaign of lies" unleashed by the LDF that the suicide rate had gone up during the UDF rule.

A total of 8,086 people committed suicide in 1996, 8,961 in the 1997, 9,306 in 1998, 9,778 in 1999, 9,304 in 2000, 9,572 in 2001, 9,810 in 2002 and 9,438 in 2003, he said.

Antony also said that the state government had constituted a committee to study the cause of suicides and suggest methods to prevent the same.