Governor Arif Mohammed Khan lauds Pinarayi govt for Kerala's good performance

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan showered praises on the Pinarayi Vijayan-government in his Republic Day speech at the Central Stadium on Thursday.
"Our government led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been working on the vision of a 'Navakeralam' by addressing key areas like agriculture and environment, housing, healthcare and education. The appreciation received from NITI Aayog for the innovation index and social security measures acknowledge the good performance of the state," said Khan in his speech.
He lauded the government for the completion of over 3.2 lakh houses under the Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment (LIFE) scheme.The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has been recognized in the global startup ecosystem report-2022 as Asia's leading performer, he said.
He pointed out the NITI Aayog baseline report about Kerala recording the lowest multidimensional poverty in the country and the third position in terms of employability of the youth as per India Skills Report 2022.
"Kerala's Aardram Mission has been re-engineering healthcare facilities from sub-centres to medical colleges and ensuring patient access to quality healthcare services. More hospitals securing the National Quality Assurance Standard certification bears testimony to our efforts," he said.
"The state's 'Year of Enterprises' scheme resulting in the establishment of 1.23 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), an investment of Rs 7,517 crore and an employment generation of 2.67 lakh have supplemented our national endeavours to promote the manufacturing sector," he added. The state's top position in the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) of the Union ministry of education, the progress in the attainment of sustainable development goals and the effective management of decentralized planning have been widely appreciated, he said.
'Don't always criticize govt'
Meanwhile, on Friday, Khan came out against reports that he has been criticizing the government always. "The impression in your mind, please remove it. I am not the leader of the opposition. If anybody is expecting that I am going to speak against the government always, then no, I am not. This is my government. I will criticize only if the government goes against the Constitution or against the law," said Khan, while speaking to the media.