TRIVANDRUM, 17 December 2002 — Former Kerala chief minister and senior Congress leader Karunakaran yesterday said the party’s fortune in Gujarat elections would have been different if the leadership had behaved in a more democratic and secular way. He said the debacle would have wider ramifications in several states, including Kerala. I hope the leadership would take the developments seriously and find ways to restore the party’s credibility as a secular, democratic force.
Terming the debacle as a setback to the party leadership that miserably failed to function democratically, he called for a national debate on bringing together all secular parties before the state and Parliamentary elections due in 2003 and 2004.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister A.K. Antony said the setback in Gujarat was a temporary phenomenon for the party and no one should be blamed for that. It should also be remembered that it was (the party president) Sonia Gandhi who brought the party back from the brink. We are in power in 15 states and the party cane to power in Kashmir recently under her leadership.
JBIC-funded water project
TRIVANDRUM: The Kerala Cabinet yesterday shortlisted three consultants for implementation of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)-funded 18.7-billion rupees water supply scheme. The JBIC can now select a consultant of their choice from the list. Chief Minister A.K. Antony told journalists after a Cabinet meeting that the list consists of Tokyo Engineering Consortium Limited, PAC Consortium and MOT NJS Consortium. The project implementation has now reached the decisive phase. This is the last round before the beginning of the implementation, Antony said.
ADB clears $200 million loan
TRIVANDRUM: In a major boost to Kerala’s reforms initiatives, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved yesterday its first assistance to the state — a $200 million equivalent loan to support a major program of fiscal reform and social development. Finance Minister K. Sankaranarayanan said he received communication from the ADB that the package had been cleared.
The Netherlands government is co-financing the Modernizing Government and Fiscal Reform Program with a $50 million grant, to be administered by ADB. According to a news release issued by ADB in Manila yesterday, which is posted on its website, the assistance will help Kerala implement its Modernizing Government Program (MGP), which was developed by the Kerala government through an extensive consultation process. The MGP is designed to make government more responsive to the needs of its people and become more efficient and effective. —
