UDF mocks LDF's change of heart on private universities, seaplane project

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF on Wednesday took a dig at the ruling Left front in the Assembly, saying that the LDF has first opposed private universities and now favour them, just as they did in the case of seaplane tourism.

Hitting back at the UDF, state Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said that the seaplane project mooted during the Oommen Chandy government did not take off as "proper homework" had not been done.

Riyas was responding to senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala's remark that the LDF was taking the same stance on private universities just as in the case of seaplane project. Chennithala said Left had opposed both the projects in the past and now accepting them.

The minister said that the then Oommen Chandy government did not hold discussions with fishermen nor were issues raised by seaplane operators addressed by it, leading to the failure of the initiative in the past.

"Had they decided to implement the project by making use of the dams, there would not have been any opposition to it and it would have worked. So lack of thought and homework was the reason it did not take off," he said.

He also questioned why the opposition was creating obstructions to a project which has the potential to benefit the public.

The first seaplane of the Kerala state took off from the backwaters in Kochi and landed in Mattupetty dam in the hill district of Idukki in November last year.

The seaplane service is provided under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)'s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN.

In addition to Bolgatty and Mattupetty other places like Kovalam, Ashtamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Vembanad, Malampuzha, and Bekal are being considered for seaplane connectivity, according to the government.

The Congress-led UDF has been contending that Kerala would have got a seaplane 10 years ago if it were not for the hurdles created by the CPI(M)-led LDF.