MANANTHAVADY: Union Minister of State for Scheduled Tribes Durgadas Uikey on Friday alleged that the LDF government in Kerala has failed to address key issues affecting tribal communities in Wayanad. Speaking at an election rally in support of NDA candidate P. Shyam Raj, the Minister said the state government had not taken adequate steps to provide land to landless tribals in the district.
He also accused the state government and the sitting MLA of delaying the proposed Kozhikode–Kuttyadi–Mananthavady–Kutta Greenfield Highway project, despite significant financial allocation by the Centre. He termed the delay as a result of administrative indifference.
Referring to healthcare infrastructure, Uikey said the Mananthavady District Hospital had not been effectively developed into a full-fledged medical college, and blamed both the LDF and UDF for neglect. The Minister further alleged delays in land acquisition for bridge construction in several parts of the constituency and criticised the government’s handling of issues such as human-wildlife conflict in the district.
He also made political allegations against both the CPI(M) and the Congress during his speech. Earlier in the day, the Minister arrived in Mananthavady and held discussions with tribal leaders on development concerns. The public meeting at Gandhi Park was presided over by BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha State President Mukundan Palliyara, and attended by party leaders and candidates.
