Kerala governor P Sathasivam snubbed opposition leader V S Achuthanandan in the state assembly after the latter tried to disrupt his customary policy address at the beginning of the assembly’s last session yesterday. “You should allow me to perform my constitutional duty,” Sathasivam said as the 93-year-old leader, who was denied a mic stood up and tried to speak apparently in protest.
“The entire nation is watching you,” Sathasivam, a former chief justice of India, told Achuthanandan. “You have exercised your democratic right (to protest). Now, take it to the people,” Sathasivam said, hinting at the state elections two months away.
As the opposition continued to protest demanding the removal of “tainted ministers,” Sathasivam advised Achuthanandan to “kindly read the Constitution,” 
“You either sit quietly or leave the House,” the governor told the protesting members. 
Following this, the opposition members, while continuing to raise slogans against Chief Minister Ommen Chandy and his cabinet colleagues, shifted their venue to outside the Assembly.
The opposition has been stepping up the heat on the government after a couple promoting a fraudulent energy firm and a controversial hotelier claimed they had bribed the chief minister’s colleagues. However, Chandy insists that the claims were in revenge for his government action against the couple and for shutting some 730 bars as part of the state’s phased prohibition policy.
Finance Minister K M Mani had to quit following adverse remarks from the High Court over the allegations while Chandy rejected the resignation of Excise Minister K Babu after the court suspended a lower court order to the police to investigate allegations against Babu.
Listing a series of development projects and welfare initiatives, the governor said the last five years of the government was a golden age of opportunities.
“(It was) an age where dreams came true, an age that propelled Kerala towards a fast trajectory of growth and development, an age which has opened several doors that are going to bring in more and more opportunities for holistic development,” he said.
The first phase of the Rs51.81bn Kochi Metro will be ready in June and the Rs18bn Kannur International Airport in September, the governor pointed out. The state has also initiated light metro projects for Trivandrum and Calicut, he said.
“In Kannur 70% of the runway and 55% of the passenger terminal work has been completed. The test landing will take place this month,” he disclosed.
“When it becomes commercially operational in September, Kerala will become the only state in India to have four international airports,” Sathasivam added. 
He said the first phase of Dubai’s SmartCity Kochi will start functioning on February 20, employing 5,500 knowledge-based professionals, at a cost of Rs3bn with a waterfront IT building and allied infrastructure including a 3.5km road, bridge and sub-station.
The Rs19bn second phase comprising seven IT buildings with a built-up space of 4.7mn sq ft and an international school for 3,400 students “will create 90,000 direct jobs and is set to transform the IT face of Kerala.”
Kerala had become India’s first digital state this month with 100% mobile density and the highest Aadhaar enrolment of 99%, highest digital banking rate and high-speed broadband connection using fibre-optic cables to the village level, he pointed out.