Raveendran’s LIFE case is about flat sponsorship; needn’t be confused with LIFE Mission: Govindan

KOCHI 

The LIFE Mission steered by the Kerala government has enabled 3.5 lakh people to have a roof over their heads, and the plan now is to provide land to the 3.42 lakh landless people so that they are able to build houses too, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M] State secretary M.V. Govindan has said.

Addressing the media at Paravur north of Ernakulam on Tuesday as part of the Janakeeya Prathirodha Yatra led by him, Mr. Govindan said that the LIFE Mission need not be confused with the LIFE Mission case in which the Enforcement Directorate questioned C.M. Raveendran, additional private secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Tuesday. “The government does not have anything to do with it as it is about the sponsorship of a flat complex,” he said, brushing aside Mr. Raveendran’s interrogation by the Central agency. “Hasn’t he been questioned before? Hasn’t this been happening for years now?” he asked. 

Mr. Govindan said that the government was keen to identify and acquire 10,500 acres for distribution to the landless which would make Kerala the first Indian State where none would be without a piece of land in their ownership.  

He said that the State government, despite being pushed against the wall financially by an apathetic Centre, showed tremendous resolve in strengthening public education as evident from its action of completing 43 more school buildings. They were built using KIIFB and plan funds to the tune of ₹51 crore. The decision to distribute books, school uniforms, and rice bags of 5 kg each to students before schools close for summer holidays further strengthened public education. In five years, 6.8 lakh new students joined government-run schools. A total of 4,752 schools got IT facility, 14,000 schools received broadband connectivity, and 45,000 classrooms became high-tech, he said.  

Mr. Govindan said that the protest by 79 organisations in Delhi against the atrocities on Christians across the country should open everyone’s eyes. But notably, Kerala was not among the States where Christians and their institutions faced attacks, he added.

The Yatra covered West Kochi and Kalamassery on Tuesday and will move to Piravom and the eastern parts of Ernakulam on Wednesday.