The Kerala government is getting ready to inform the Union government that it is not feasible to shift the state capital from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi. The state government was asked for its response to the private member's Bill on this matter, which was moved by Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden in the Lok Sabha in March this year.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has made the intent of his government clear that it’s not possible to shift the state capital to Kochi. As per reports, in his response the Chief Minister has cited that huge capital investment will be required for relocation and also mentioned that there is no space for further development in Kochi. Incidentally, Ernakulam or Kochi, as its most popularly known, is often referred to as the commercial capital of the state as it is centrally located, making it accessible, especially to those in the northern districts of the state.
However, the Congress MP’s move has invited criticism from within his party. “It was his individual interest. It is a mystery why the government asked for a response from the state government. It is not necessary that the capital should be at the centre of the state. I oppose Hibi’s opinion,” Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor told the media.
Some regional Congress leaders also opposed the move. Opposition leader VD Satheesan also told the media that it wasn’t a party decision and that he had informed Hibi about his dissent. Congress MLA K Muraleedharan also said that it wasn’t right to move a bill without discussing with the party.
Eden (40) began his parliamentary career by winning his debut election to the Kerala Assembly from Ernakulam in 2011. Mid-way into his second tenure as a legislator, he was fielded in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which he won easily. With the next Lok Sabha polls round the corner, this Bill might go down as nothing but an election gimmick by Eden, whose father George Eden was also a Lok Sabha member.
With IANS inputs