Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary and former Industry Minister of Kerala P.K. Kunhalikutty has said that former United Democratic Front (UDF) governments were primarily responsible for the positive changes in the State’s industrial scenario.

Addressing the media here on Sunday, Mr. Kunhalikutty said that the change in policy of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) had come beneficial to Kerala. “The previous LDF governments’ negative policies had largely inhibited the State’s industrial progress,” he said.

Mr. Kunhalikutty said that it was the UDF government which pioneered the KINFRA (Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation) experiment, leading to a significant transformation in the State’s industrial landscape. “The KINFRA parks facilitated this change, with 90% of the industries that entered Kerala setting up operations in these parks. This initiative formed the basis of our industrial growth,” he said.

Tech hub

Mr. Kunhalikutty said, the KINFRA park at Kakkanchery, near the University of Calicut, served as a role model, with even the current Industry Minister acknowledging its success. “Furthermore, we transformed Kakkanad in Kochi, previously a neglected area, into a thriving information technology hub,” he said.

He said it was the Akshaya project started by the UDF government that laid the groundwork for digital Kerala. He said opening up of the higher education sector by allowing private engineering colleges provided an impetus for the State’s growth. “The UDF government’s initiatives, including KINFRA, Akshaya, Infopark, and private engineering colleges, paved the way for whatever change you see in Kerala’s industrial scenario,” he said.

“I acknowledge that the LDF governments also made contributions, but the UDF’s efforts undoubtedly laid the foundation for the State’s industrial growth,” he said.

In contrast, he criticised the erstwhile LDF government’s policies, which he believed created an investment-unfriendly environment in Kerala. Mr. Kunhalikutty said that when the UDF was in the Opposition, they did not block development initiatives; but now that the tables had turned, the party that used to oppose was behaving differently. “Regret is good. It should be permanent,” he said, referring to the change in policy of the LDF.

“We are attending the upcoming industry conclave in Kochi. When we held global investor meets, the LDF, which was in the Opposition, had boycotted them. This is the difference,” he said.