Keralas best panchayat readies for poll battle

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 30 kilometres away from the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city lies a panchayat which made the state proud recently. Earning the 53rd rank in the list of best grama panchayats of the country in the Mission Antyodaya rankings and becoming the state topper, the Parassala grama panchayat had made significant strides in some key areas, including education and healthcare. While the ruling LDF plans to bank on its achievement for the upcoming local body polls, the UDF is trying to regain the lost terrain by countering these claims. The BJP is also aiming to score well here, expecting to gain ground by increasing its vote share. Attributing the Antyodaya achievement to the panchayat governing boards efforts to continue those of its predecessor, panchayat president Manjusmitha L said that they tackled multiple issues pragmatically. The Parassala crematorium, which became fully functional during our tenure, helped us manage the bodies of people who died of Covid, not just from here, but also from different parts of the city, she said. Manjusmitha highlighted the newly inaugurated buildings for the hospitals here, including the Parassuvaikal Family Health Centre and Ayurveda Hospital. Being a panchayat which shares borders with neighbouring Tamil Nadu, many residents of that state also avail facilities of our hospitals, she said. Smart classes have been introduced to five out of seven government lower primary schools here. Politically, Parassala grama panchayat had not been a forte of any fronts, as LDF and UDF used to switch power after every five years. However, LDFs consecutive wins in the last two councils have increased the spirit of the party, its members said. Many key measures, including a good auditorium and proper management of agriculture, were taken by the LDF councils, said Sunil M, the member of Muriyathottam ward. However, the opposition parties are claiming that the council has failed miserably in implementing grassroots-level welfare activities. While acknowledging that some development was brought in the school education sector, Congress leader Vinayanadh V R said that they were surprised when the rankings came out. There is not even a proper panchayat office for Parassala today. As Railways acquired the land where we had the erstwhile office, now the office is functioning in what was built for an AC hall, he said. Criticising the councils boasting of its giant leap in the health sector, Vinayanadh alleged that the newly constructed buildings of the Siddha and Homoeo hospitals are yet to be opened to the public. Amplifying another common problem, he alleged that the byroads of the panchayat continue to be in a dilapidated state. Highlighting a grave issue, Vinayanadh also mentioned that the residents of the panchayat are facing an acute water crisis in most of its regions. Even though the panchayat governing board says that the water distribution is only a key issue in certain areas, they hope the issue will be resolved to a large extent once the ongoing water tank construction is completed. Claiming that there is strong anti-incumbency among the commoners, Vinayanadh said that even the leftist people have expressed their willingness to vote for them. Though political differences exist, the BJP candidate of the panchayats Nediyamoodu ward, Ajayakumar M, opined that the current council has been performing relatively well. However, there are still areas to improve-- including the speedy construction of the much-needed bus terminal at Karali, he said.