Menon blasts govt for failing to fulfil electoral pledges

21 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party, a component of the AL-led grand alliance, strongly criticised the government yesterday for its failure to implement electoral pledges in the last 16 months. Participating in the budget discussion in parliament, he also criticised the ruling AL for its 'go alone' policy, saying that it has been running the state without paying heed to the opinions of the alliance partners. Menon, also the chief of the parliamentary standing committee on education ministry, said that lack of concerted efforts has raised doubts among the grand alliance partners as to whether the trial of war criminals will be held. It will also be difficult to implement the government's development projects and 'Vision 2021' if coordinated efforts are not made to this end, he warned. About power and gas crisis, Menon said it is unfortunate that the government could not resolve the crisis as yet. He criticised the government move to encourage installation of rental and peaking power plants. The Workers Party chief also criticised the government move to extract coal through open pit mining, saying that Sheikh Hasina had opposed this method when she was the opposition leader. Menon said the ruling AL in its electoral manifesto promised to set up a land reform commission, but no step has been taken to this end so far. He described the proposal to impose tax on saving certificates as one of the weak points in the National Budget for 2010-11. He also decried extortion, crimes and tender manipulation by the ruling party men. Participating in the discussion on the proposed budget, a number of ruling AL lawmakers lauded the proposed budget and termed it a people- and development-oriented budget.