TVM CANAL MISHAP

TVM canal mishap: Sivankutty terms Satheesan’s response 'inhumane'

Thiruvananthapuram: Labour Minister V Sivankutty here on Sunday criticised Opposition leader V D Satheesan for accusing the state government of being responsible for the sanitation worker's accident in Aamayizhachan canal. He termed the congress leader's response as immature and inhumane.

Sivankutty accused the Opposition Leader of attempting to gain political mileage from the tragedy without even visiting the site. He stated that the state government is doing everything possible to locate the missing person.

The accident occurred in an area under railway jurisdiction, where the railway had not granted permission for any intervention by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation or the state government. The minister added that the railway contractor used workers for cleaning operations without any safety measures in place.

Following the special instructions of the Chief Minister, all possible rescue operations are being conducted. Satheesan is attempting to blame the state government for an issue related to the railway. Even during this disaster, the opposition leader tried to blame Minister Veena George, who was contemptible, Sivankutty said.

Addressing the media here on Sunday, Satheesan questioned the government's lapses in carrying out the pre-monsoon cleaning works.

“When the opposition pointed out in the assembly that the government has failed to carry out the pre-monsoon sanitation works, the Local Self Governance Minister (M B Rajesh) ridiculed us. We would like to ask the minister what he was doing all these days. It is said that there was a dispute between the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and the Railways over cleaning the canal. If at all there was such a dispute, wasn’t the government supposed to resolve it? The government should have taken the initiative to call the two parties for a discussion and find a solution. The government did not do that. This type of apathy is seen everywhere,” Satheesan said.