KPCC president K Sudhakaran MP on Sunday said that the Lokayukta in Kerala has become a ‘Kettukazhcha’ (the ceremonial display of decorated chariots, wooden horses, bulls, etc., in connection with temple festivals), when the Karnataka Lokayukta raided the house of the ruling party MLA and seized crores of bribe money.
Sudhakaran said that the Kerala Lokayukta has not yet given its verdict in the case related to the misuse of Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) case in which the Chief Minister is an accused, though the hearing of the case was completed one year back. He said that the Lokayukta has been sitting over the case for the last one year. The hearing of the case was completed on 18 March last year.
The senior Congress leader said the Kerala Lokayukta is not following the directives of the apex court as regard to the delivery of judgments after the hearing of the cases.
“It seems that the Kerala Lokayukta is not bound by the Supreme Court’s directive to issue a verdict within six months after the completion of the hearing,” Sudhakaran said here on Sunday .
The Lokayukta(Amendment) Bill, that curtails the powers of the anti- corruption Ombudsman passed by the Assembly in August 2022, has been before the Governor for a long time, he too is sitting over it . Sudhakaran pointed out that the trinity of the Government, the Governor and the Lokayukta have destroyed Kerala’s anti-corruption fight.
The Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill that curtails the powers of the anti-corruption body, passed by the Assembly, has not become a law as the Governor has not approved it.
As per the amendment, if Lokayukta passes a verdict against the chief minister in a corruption case, the Assembly would be the competent authority to decide on it, not the governor. The appellate authority for the ministers would be the chief minister , while for the members of the Assembly, it would be the Speaker.
Sudhakaran said the state cabinet had illegally transferred funds from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to the families of NCP leader Uzhavur Vijayan, former Chengannur MLA K K Ramachandran Nair, and Praveen, the escort driver of the CPI-M state secretary who died in an accident while on duty.
He said that Uzhavur Vijayan’s family was given Rs 25 lakh and the kin of driver Praveen was granted Rs 20 lakh. He also said that Ramachandran Nair’s loan liability of Rs 9 lakh was also given from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF)
Stating that sanctioning of money from the CMDRF to the relatives of LDF leaders and relatives of a police man who died in an accident is illegal, Sudhakaran said financial assistance from the CMDRF is for sickness, accidents, natural calamities etc.
He said that it is the petition against the illegal sanctioning of money from CMDRF, filed by RS Sasikumar, former Kerala university syndicate member, which is pending with the Kerala Lokayukta.
Stating the background of the passing of the Lokayukta amendment bill, Sudhakaran said “Realizing that if the Lokayukta takes a just decision, it will be the most affected, the Chief Minister, who was undergoing treatment in America, participated in the online cabinet meeting and quickly brought the ordinance and then the Lokayukta amendment bill.”
He said that the Lokayukta amendment bill was brought to save the Chief Minister. As per the amendment bill, If Lokayukta passes a verdict against the chief minister in a corruption case, the Assembly would be the competent authority to decide on it, not the governor.
The appellate authority for the ministers would be the chief minister , while for the members of the Assembly ,it would be the Speaker.Thus, when the amendment bill becomes law, as the ruling party has majority in the Assembly, chief minister could be saved the verdict, even if the Lokayukta passes an adverse verdict against them, he said