Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan has said the United Democratic Front (UDF) will move the court against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government diktat on collecting funds from local bodies for the Navakerala Sadas in alleged violation of laws.
He also accused the government of flouting Election Commission of India (ECI) norms by deploying booth level officers (BLO) for the mass outreach programme.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, the Congress leader said the order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self Government Department, directing local bodies to allocate funds for the programme violated the provisions of both Kerala Municipality Act, 1994, and Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994. The order, he added, has pushed several cash-strapped local bodies into dire straits, making it extremely difficult for these to meet running expenses.
Mr. Satheesan also alleged the administrative vacuum, which has been purportedly created by the continuing absence of the Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats from the State capital, has began to take a toll at various levels of governance. Several development and social welfare programmes are at a standstill, he added.
He charged the government with misusing BLOs by appointing them as conveners of local organising committees that have been constituted for Nava Kerala Sadas. The decision contravened an ECI directive issued to District Election Officers on the basis of a UDF complaint that forbids BLOs from neglecting their responsibilities pertaining to special summary revision of electoral rolls and engaging “in any work that is outside their normal official scope of duties”.
Refuting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s charge that he had threatened the secretary of Paravur Municipality from releasing funds for the Navakerala Sadas, Mr. Satheesan accused the Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh and senior bureaucrats of intimidating the official to do the government’s bidding, failing which he would not clear his probation period.
