Culture Minister K.C. Joseph, on Friday, maintained that all flagship projects of the UDF government were progressing on schedule.
At a meet the press programme arranged by Ernakulam Press Club, he said while the government was satisfied with the progress of major projects, attempt was being made by a few to impede the State’s development. “The Vizhinjam ICTT project, which received the green nod, is now facing opposition from some locals who don’t know a thing about the project.”
He said the State achieved a first by formulating a perspective plan for which all-party consensus was being sought.
“This is important for a State like Kerala which witnesses government change every five years.”
Highlighting the plans put in place by NORKA in rehabilitating returnees from the Middle East by facilitating them to be small-scale entrepreneurs, he said the government was in touch with healthcare institutions run by Keralites in Gulf countries to secure jobs for nurses forced to return from the strife torn Libya and Iraq.
On the move to enforce total prohibition in a staggered manner in the State, he said the government would not go back on this. The issue of allowing and retaining beer-wine parlours was still under discussion, he said.
Mr. Joseph was critical of the media for ‘manufacturing a discussion on Cabinet reshuffle’. “While the re-entry of KB Ganesh Kumar into the Cabinet is the sole issue, the media was rife with speculation on an imminent Cabinet reconstitution.”
