MB Rajesh blames Railways for worker's death, accuses Satheesan of political opportunism

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Local Self Government Department (LSGD) Minister M B Rajesh has levelled allegations against the railway regarding waste management at Amayizhanchan canal, where Joy, a cleaning worker attached to the corporation's cleaning department, drowned. 

Speaking to reporters on Monday about the unfortunate accident involving Joy, Rajesh also launched a severe attack against opposition leader VD Satheesan for attempting to gain political advantage from the tragic incident.

"The hasty response of the Leader of the Opposition to exploit the situation should not have occurred, considering the seriousness of the incident. It should not be repeated. When responsibilities that do not fall under the government are imposed on us, we will be compelled to respond," said Rajesh.

"When rescue operations were underway, the Leader of the Opposition met with the media and criticized the government. He should have waited until the body of the unfortunate worker was recovered from the canal. He should have exercised discretion and waited until the body was recovered before launching his attack on the government. Unfortunately, that did not happen," the minister said.

"We refrained from responding to his premature criticism until now, as we thought it inappropriate to engage in a political debate while a crisis was there.  People like him should consider whether it is appropriate for politicians functioning in civil society to jump into the fray to gain political mileage when such a tragedy is occurring. Now, it seems a competition is going on regarding the attack against the government,"  Rajesh said.

"The government does not believe that waste management is the sole responsibility of a particular institution. It is a collective responsibility of society. Waste does not come from outer space; each person in our society is responsible for the accumulation of waste around us. It should be treated as such," he said.

"The corporation or government cannot undertake activities on railway land. When the government attempted to act previously, the railway took a firm stance and utilized the Railway Act to prevent such activities from occurring again. According to them, nothing, including waste management, should be conducted on their land. They used this Act to prevent the corporations and government from entering their land. Under such circumstances, the government's course of action is to ensure that the railway fulfils its responsibilities. The railway has also acknowledged that this is their responsibility. The circular on this matter is with the government," the minister said.

"In his haste to implicate the government in this incident, the opposition leader spoke nonsensically without considering the complexities involved. The Additional Chief Secretary sent letters to the two divisional managers of the Kerala Railways on January 31, 2024, seeking their cooperation on waste management. The Thiruvananthapuram division did not respond, while the Palakkad division responded after a month. Subsequently, the government called for a meeting chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary, which these two divisional managers did not attend. Instead, they sent two junior officers. The government presented a 20-point list to the railway for implementation, which has not been implemented to date," Rajesh said.

"The Kerala High Court recently observed that the railways belong to the category of 'significant waste producers.' Due to the railway's reluctance to fulfil its waste management responsibilities, the government was compelled to issue a notice stating that prosecution proceedings would be initiated. Despite this, two former Central ministers remain silent regarding the railway's inaction," he said.

"The corporation has been directed to take stringent action if the railways continue to neglect waste management. Given this situation, the Leader of the Opposition and two former Union ministers have maligned the government over the situation, obscuring the true facts from the public. The High Court itself noted that the government was on the right track regarding waste management," Rajesh said.