<p>The budget session of Kerala Assembly beginning on Friday is likely to be stormy from day one with the opposition gearing up to raise a host of issues and allegations targeting both Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government.</p>.<p>As the session begins with the Governor's policy address the house may witness the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) protesting against the Governor for allegedly succumbing to the political interests of the government in appointments in universities.</p>.<p>The Governor himself had alleged of political pressure with regard to appointments in universities and hence he would not continue as chancellor. But the Governor later toned down his stand, close on the heels of which a BJP state leader was appointed as Governor's staff last week. This had triggered allegations of quid pro quo deal.</p>.<p>A recent decision of the Pinarayi Vijayan government to bring in an ordinance for amending the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act to empower government overrule Lok Ayukta orders disqualifying ministers and the Chief Minister will be also taken up by the opposition in the Assembly.</p>.<p>A resolution against the ordinance is also likely to be moved by the Opposition. The left-front government is facing an embarrassment over the issue as CPI, which is the second largest party in the ruling front, had openly expressed displeasure over bringing in the ordinance without much discussions. The CPI ministers were reported to have raised the matter in the Cabinet meeting on Thursday also, while party state secretary Kanam Rajendran already expressed displeasure openly.</p>.<p>Protests against the proposed semi-high-speed rail project, Silver Line, will be also raised by the opposition in the house.</p>.<p>The state has been witnessing frequent instances of local people aggressively preventing the officials from laying stones demarking the land identified for the rail-line across the state.</p>.<p>The opposition had been alleging that despite being a major infrastructure project proposal of the state the government even did not initiate any discussion in the Assembly. Hence, the chances of the government allowing a discussion on the matter in the house could not be also ruled out, sources said.</p>.<p>Other issues to be raised by the opposition would be an ongoing row over alleged irregularities in Kerala State Electricity Board and recent statement of gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh that her audio clips in favour of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that came out while she was in custody were staged ones.</p>.<p>The state budget is scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister K N Balagopal on March 11. The session is scheduled till March 23 with a brief break in between in view of CPM's state conference from March 1 to 4.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
<p>The budget session of Kerala Assembly beginning on Friday is likely to be stormy from day one with the opposition gearing up to raise a host of issues and allegations targeting both Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government.</p>.<p>As the session begins with the Governor's policy address the house may witness the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) protesting against the Governor for allegedly succumbing to the political interests of the government in appointments in universities.</p>.<p>The Governor himself had alleged of political pressure with regard to appointments in universities and hence he would not continue as chancellor. But the Governor later toned down his stand, close on the heels of which a BJP state leader was appointed as Governor's staff last week. This had triggered allegations of quid pro quo deal.</p>.<p>A recent decision of the Pinarayi Vijayan government to bring in an ordinance for amending the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act to empower government overrule Lok Ayukta orders disqualifying ministers and the Chief Minister will be also taken up by the opposition in the Assembly.</p>.<p>A resolution against the ordinance is also likely to be moved by the Opposition. The left-front government is facing an embarrassment over the issue as CPI, which is the second largest party in the ruling front, had openly expressed displeasure over bringing in the ordinance without much discussions. The CPI ministers were reported to have raised the matter in the Cabinet meeting on Thursday also, while party state secretary Kanam Rajendran already expressed displeasure openly.</p>.<p>Protests against the proposed semi-high-speed rail project, Silver Line, will be also raised by the opposition in the house.</p>.<p>The state has been witnessing frequent instances of local people aggressively preventing the officials from laying stones demarking the land identified for the rail-line across the state.</p>.<p>The opposition had been alleging that despite being a major infrastructure project proposal of the state the government even did not initiate any discussion in the Assembly. Hence, the chances of the government allowing a discussion on the matter in the house could not be also ruled out, sources said.</p>.<p>Other issues to be raised by the opposition would be an ongoing row over alleged irregularities in Kerala State Electricity Board and recent statement of gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh that her audio clips in favour of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that came out while she was in custody were staged ones.</p>.<p>The state budget is scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister K N Balagopal on March 11. The session is scheduled till March 23 with a brief break in between in view of CPM's state conference from March 1 to 4.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
