Ministers skip Central scheme launch, sparks row

KOCHI: The top echelons of the state government stayed away from the PM Vishwakarma Yojana launch functions, held in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, triggering a controversy. The BJP alleged the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues have “insulted an entire community and artisans”.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was the chief guest at the function, jointly organised by the Southern Railway and the Union MSME Ministry, in the state capital on Sunday morning. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vjayan, Ministers V Sivankutty, G R Anil and Antony Raju, MPs Shashi Tharoor and A A Rahim, Mayor Arya Rajendran, District Panchayat President B Suresh Kumar and District Collector Geromic Geroge were among those invited.

However, except for the district collector, none of them attended the function. Pinarayi, who was in Delhi to attend the CPM Politburo meeting, was back in Thiurvananthapuram only on Sunday afternoon, said a source in the CMO. According to a source with the organising committee, some of the ministers and MPs had conveyed their inconvenience to attend the programme well in advance. Industries Minister P Rajeeve who was expected to attend the event in Kochi also skipped the function.

When contacted, he said he was intimated about the programme only at the last minute, and there was a breach of protocol. “There was no proper communication. I was informed by the Railway PRO on Saturday evening. I was only invited to be present at the function. As per protocol, mere attendance of a state minister is acceptable only when a union minister, either cabinet or minister of state, is present.

However, the chairman of the coir board was the chief guest in Kochi,” Rajeeve said. This comes even as the state government is implementing the scheme in Kerala and has appointed a nodal officer. It is also constituting state and district- level committees for the purpose. Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran took to X (previously Twitter) to criticise the state government.

‘Left trying to sabotage implementation of scheme’

“The @pinarayivijayan government has boycotted the inauguration of PM Vishwakarma Yojana in Ernakulam. The state ministers and district collector have insulted an entire community and artisans. Strongly condemn this irresponsible action of the left administration.

Lakhs of people in Kerala will get the benefits of the scheme. The left is trying to sabotage the
implementation of this prestigious scheme in the state,” Surendran tweeted. Congress MLAs Uma Thomas
and T J Vinod, and the party’s Ernakulam District Panchayat President Ullas Thomas did not attend the event in Kochi.

Ernakulam District Collector N S K Umesh did not attend the event due to a health emergency. However, Congress MP Hibi Eden was in attendance. The PM Viswakarma Yojana, fully funded by the Union government, aims to transform modern India into a global force by giving substantial support to artisans and craftsmen.