The tenth session - also the Budget session - of the 13th Kerala Assembly started on Friday with the Governor's policy address amidst protests by the CPI(M)-led lDF Opposition over the infamous solar scam in which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was allegedly involved and the recent hike in lPG price.
The Opposition members who had come to the House carrying placards and banners printed with slogans that demanded resignation of the Chief Minister over the solar scam and rollback of the hiked lPG price created noisy disturbance even before Governor Nikhil Kumar began delivering the policy address.
The Opposition had on December 29 announced that it was suspending all the agitations - like the siege to the Chief Minister's residence, boycott of his public programmes and the black flag demonstrations against him - it had been holding over the solar scam outside the House and that it would raise the issue in the Assembly.
The Governor in his policy address said that the Government had fixed a target of 7.5 percent growth rate for the State in fiscal 2014-15. Finance Minister KM Mani is expected to present on January 21 a populist Budget for 2014-15 in view of the coming lok Sabha election. The session would come to a close on February 14.
The Governor's policy address focused on issues like development of infrastructure, promotion of young entrepreneurs and modernization of health, agriculture and education sectors. He said a special force would be constituted to counter the threat of extremism and that the Jana Maitri community policing scheme would be extended to 50 more police stations.
The first phase of the Smart City IT Park project would be operational in March, 2015 and it would provide employment to 12,000 persons, the Governor said.