Kerala government's move to overlook Lokayukta triggers strong criticism

A move by the Left Front government in Kerala to bring in an ordinance to overlook the Lokayukta's powers to direct public servants to vacate office has triggered strong criticism.

The move raised many eye brows as petitions against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Higher Education Minister R Bindu were pending with the Lokayukta. Higher education minister in the previous Left Front government K T Jaleel had to quit following a Lokayukta order.

An ordinance for amending the Kerala Lokayukta Act was cleared by the state cabinet and sent to the Governor for assent.

Already, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the Left Front government were locking horns, hence the stand of the Governor on the ordinance is quite curious. Recently there were reports that Chief Minister Vijayan intervened to patch up the differences with the Governor.

The Congress and the BJP had strongly flayed the government move to bring in the ordinance alleging that it was aimed at making the Lokayukta toothless. Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress urged the Governor not to sign the ordinance.

As per the draft ordinance cleared by the cabinet, a new provision was included in section 14 of the Kerala Lokayukta Act that empowers the government to either accept or reject directives of Lokayukta to public servants to vacate office if the corruption charges were found true. It provides for the government to give an opportunity to the public servant to be heard even after the Lokayukta's directive.

At present a petition against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in connection with alleged misuse of funds from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund and another petition against Higher Education Minister Bindu in connection with interventions in appointment of vice chancellor were pending before the Lokayukta. Higher Education Minister in the previous Left Front government K T Jaleel had to quit after Lokayukta found him guilty of nepotism.

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