Kerala facing a crisis of governance, says V D Satheesan | Thiruvananthapuram News - The Times of India

T'puram: Opposition leader V D Satheesan said Kerala is facing a crisis of governance, and the state has witnessed an administration that remains absent when people need it most for the last nine-and-a-half years. Nearly a decade of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led govt saw the weakening of sectors once considered Kerala's strengths, including health and education, Satheesan said in an article issued ahead of the local body elections. Satheesan stated that the state plunged into an unprecedented financial crisis, reflected in a shortage of funds for welfare and development programmes -- an outcome attributed to corruption and mismanagement. "Entering the local body elections, the UDF released a chargesheet highlighting these failures, alongside an alternative manifesto offering solutions if voted to power. The party believes widespread public resentment against the LDF, combined with its development proposals, will translate into a decisive electoral mandate," Satheesan said. The UDF manifesto aims to represent every demographic group and outlines interventions across various stages of life. Emphasis is placed on decentralization, economic self-sufficiency and equality. The UDF alleged that decentralization was reversed under the current govt, claiming that local bodies received only Rs 2,500 crore of the Rs 8,452 crore allocated for 2025-26. The front promises to restore the autonomy of local bodies and ensure unconditional ward-level funding, said the opposition leader. The manifesto also outlines plans to revive the Ashraya poverty-eradication programme and introduce low-cost food initiatives modelled on Karnataka's Indira Canteen system. Public health reforms are presented as a priority, with the UDF alleging a collapse in govt hospitals and promising radical improvements. Solutions to the stray dog issue and waste management are also featured, including the introduction of plasma-based waste treatment technology. Other priorities include disaster-mitigation projects to