Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan arrives to inaugurate a rally in connection with the fourth anniversary celebrations of the Left Democratic Front government in the city on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government that came into power in 2016 was able to realise major infrastructure projects that were held up in the State due to the apathy of the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government.

The previous UDF government had failed to acquire the land for the development of the National Highway 66. It was after the LDF came to power in 2016 that the project turned a reality after the State agreed to pay about ₹5,800 crore for land acquisition, he said at a rally held here marking the fourth anniversary celebrations of the present LDF government.

He accused the UDF of stalling the progress of the State while the Left front rule gave top priority to infrastructure development projects. The GAIL gas pipeline project remains another example of the UDF government’s failure in acquiring land for development projects. It was the LDF government that removed the bottlenecks by acquiring the land for the project, he said.

The Chief Minister said that several infrastructure development projects were made a reality through the funding under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Despite various attempts to defame the KIIFB’s initiatives, the government had implemented projects worth ₹62,000 crore under KIIFB assistance up to 2021. It had gone up to ₹90,000 crore now, he said.

He said that the State ensured industrial growth by amending various laws as part of the ‘ease of doing business’ initiatives. The State had become a hub of start-ups, with the ecosystem witnessing tremendous growth over the past nine years, he said.

Besides developmental projects, the LDF government ensured the social welfare of people. The welfare pension, which was ₹600 monthly under the UDF rule, was increased to ₹1,600, and about 60 lakh persons were receiving the benefit, he said.