LDF does a somersault on accepting ADB loan

Courtesy:www.keralakaumudi.com

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) Thursday gave its nod for accepting loans from the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) for urban development in the state, taking a U-turn from its stand as the opposition on the same issue a few years back.

“We have decided to accept the ADB loan and it was cleared unanimously at our meeting of the entire LDF allies,” LDF convenor Vaikom Viswan told reporters here.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led LDF took several violent protest marches as the opposition during 2001-06, when the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government decided to go ahead with the loan.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, as the leader of opposition, had said remarks that if he came to power, he would slap the officials who go after the ADB loan.

The final agreement of the loan was signed in December in New Delhi by Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and minister of local self-government Paloly Mohammed Kutty, without the final clearance from the chief minister.