Kerala govt, Centre posed hurdles to Congress’s Wayanad housing project: Priyanka Gandhi

Kozhikode: Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday expressed frustration over what she described as a lack of cooperation from the LDF govt in addressing Wayanad's development challenges. She also alleged that the state govt even posed hurdles to the Congress-led housing project for the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide victims. Addressing a campaign meeting in Kalpetta, Gandhi claimed that approvals for Congress's housing initiative were granted only after the state govt moved ahead with its own township project. "As your MP, my biggest frustration is that when I see problems and come to you as your representative, it is my responsibility to try and resolve them. But I have found that I can do so only up to a point. Without cooperation from the state and central govt, it becomes very difficult to do our job effectively," she said, adding that the Chooralmala-Mundakkai tragedy was the clearest example of this challenge. Gandhi said that efforts to secure land and complete documentation for the housing project were delayed at multiple stages. "Both LDF and UDF inaugurated the project only few months back just before the elections. I know that on our part, we were trying for the entire period to secure the land and to get the paperwork done for the land. At every step it was difficult to get those clearances. My colleagues in IUML would have faced the same problems," she said. Gandhi noted that the disaster had initially seen an outpouring of collective support cutting across political lines, but alleged that political compulsions came in. "And that is where for us — the MPs and MLAs in the opposition — that it is extremely important that we have our own state govt in place as well," she added. Describing the situation as a missed opportunity, Gandhi said that despite available resources, governance had failed to adequately address key issues facing the region. Gandhi also said that if voted to power, UDF would establish a world-class tribal university in Wayanad aimed at preserving tribal culture and expanding educational opportunities for tribal students.