Let the fresh faces bring in much-needed changes in the VS ministry

O.J.George
Thiruvananthapuram: Chingom 1, the first day of the first month of the Malayalam calendar year, could prove to be a bonanza for the LDF ministry in Kerala.

Three persons are being sworn in, with the thinking that freshness would endear the V.S.Achuthanandan ministry to the people. P.J.Joseph has been the most experienced minister in the Achuthanandan Cabinet.

In 2007, he demitted office saying he would be back with his innocence cleared in court. He is taking the oath at the Raj Bhavan tomorrow.The stand-in minister, Mons Joseph, has resigned saying he is giving in to the decision of the party. He has been lucky, to become a minister for one thing, and to continue this long for another.

Just because Finance Minister Thomas Isaac was indulgent only to him among the Kerala Congress representatives, he could see a lot of roads bitumenised.When the money is there even officials could do the work. Of course, there has been no dearth of announcements, like the vision of undertaking Rs 55,000 crore work by 2050 or so.

At the last moment, he hastened to order work worth a 1,000 crore.It would be worth probing why money was not forthcoming during the earlier stint of P.J.Joseph and subsequent term of T.U.Kuruvilla.P J Joseph will not speak out, I am sure.

A lot of people, within and outside, saw to it that Joseph was kept out. Now the court has cleared him, no one can deny him the post due to him.Also there was a concerted effort to keep him out of politics. The polity would have lost a man of accomplishments, experience and knowledge, particularly in the green world. Such cruelty be not inflicted on any human being.Kadannappally Ramachandran is going to be the second minister-to-be. Four decades of his political life had not fetched him a ministership as yet.

And he had not bargained for it either. Now there were several persons asking why he is not being given a post. Even M.P.Veerendrakumar was kind enough to speak in favour of him.

It was good that no one opposed his ministership at the LDF level.Jose Thettayil, the third nominee, is lucky. He has been strongly recommended by Pinarayi Vijayan. Even the Janata Dal leadership did not have much choice.His selection by the party was only a procedural formality.

And Janata Dal cannot have much bargaining power, as the stronger section has left the LDF bandwagon.And what is wrong with Janata Dal having a different person as its minister? Mathew T Thomas himself has agreed to it.

All of them would be ministers at 11.30 am at the Raj Bhavan tomorrow.Let there be fresh attempts to implement Smart City, Vizhinjam port and the like. The collective wisdom may bring in good.