Pinarayi Vijayan, Ramesh Chennithala cross swords over Kerala Lok Ayukta

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Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has rejected Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan’s allegation that the United Democratic Front (UDF) government was attempting to undermine the independence of the Kerala Lok Ayukta.

While Mr. Vijayan alleged that the Home Minister chaired a high-level meeting attended by the Lok Ayukta, Upa Lok Ayuktas and senior government officials to bring the institution under executive control, Mr. Chennithala maintained the discussion was convened to address long-pending administrative issues.

The exchange followed a Facebook post by Mr. Vijayan, who claimed the government was setting a dangerous precedent by attempting to bring an independent institution responsible for investigating corruption and abuse of power under its control.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] veteran contended that the meeting violated the constitutional principle of separation of powers and undermined the spirit of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999. The Lok Ayukta, he pointed out, is empowered to investigate allegations of corruption, nepotism and abuse of authority against public servants, including the Chief Minister, Ministers, legislators and government officials.

He also questioned the propriety of the Home Minister, who himself falls within the Lok Ayukta’s investigative jurisdiction, chairing a meeting involving the institution’s judicial authorities and senior officials, including the Director General of Prosecution. Such interactions could create public doubts about the institution’s impartiality and independence, he cautioned.

Mr. Vijayan also accused the UDF of adopting contradictory positions on the Lok Ayukta’s autonomy, as he recalled that the coalition leaders had approached the Governor to oppose amendments to the Lok Ayukta Act introduced by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, alleging that they would curtail the institution’s powers. Besides, Mr. Chennithala had moved the Kerala High Court to challenge the amendments as an encroachment on the Lok Ayukta’s adjudicatory powers. However, his petition was subsequently dismissed.

Countering the allegations, the Home Minister said the meeting was requested by the Lok Ayukta against the background of several unresolved administrative issues, particularly during the last decade when the LDF was in power.

The institution sought the referral of complaints and petitions against government employees to the Kerala Lok Ayukta for investigation under Section 7(3) of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999. It also requested that the preparation of rules that govern contempt proceedings relating to the Lok Ayukta be expedited.

The other requirements included providing adequate facilities for the office of theLok Ayukta’s Special Attorney, purchasing vehicles for police personnel attached to its investigation wing and sanctioning uniform allowances for them.

The Lok Ayukta also sought the early notification of special rules for the service conditions of its employees and the Kerala Lok Ayukta (Submission of Statement of Assets) Amendment Rules, 2024 and relaxation of the ceiling on travelling allowances and digitisation of the institution’s functioning.  

In his Facebook post, Mr. Chennithala also cited meetings involving the Lok Ayukta and State government in the past. A similar meeting had been chaired by former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan with the Lok Ayukta and Upa Lok Ayuktas in 2006 in the presence of the then Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. Recalling that Mr. Vijayan was the CPI(M) State secretary at the time, Mr. Chennithala questioned whether the Leader of the Opposition considered that meeting as an attempt to subvert the institution’s autonomy.

Another meeting was convened by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in 2014. Mr. Chennithala also recalled that Mr. Vijayan had held several meetings with the Chief Justice of the High Court during his tenure as the Chief Minister. 

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