CPI opposes move to usurp powers of ministers

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI which is the second biggest alliance partner in the CPM led ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government has rejected the proposed amendments in "rules of business" which the party believes could alter the Cabinet's style of functioning.

The cabinet sub-committee member and revenue minister E Chandrashekharan have submitted the General Administration Department (GAD) report containing the modified rules to the CPI leadership. Earlier, on the direction of CPI, Chandrashekharan had hit out at the changes proposed in rules of business when the matter came up for discussions at the cabinet sub-committee meeting.

The CPI is of the opinion that the changes of this nature in rules of business cannot be accepted in Kerala's coalition setup. 

With the CPI and other constituent partners of the LDF opposing the changes, the subcommittee will hold another meeting to discuss the issue. Two meetings of the subcommittee have already taken place. It was ahead of the second meeting that Chandrashkhearan met CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran along with the report.

After the subcommittee meeting, the revenue minister called on the state secretary again and apprised him of the matter. Since there is little chance of constituent partners arriving at a consensus in cabinet subcommittee, the CPI does not believe that the controversial recommendations on rules of business will come before the Cabinet.

In case that happens, the four CPI ministers in Cabinet will oppose it strongly. 

The CPI believes that in such a situation the chief minister and the CPM will go for party level talks. As of now the CPI has not taken up the matter with CPM leadership. 

The CPI, for the time being, has taken at face value the chief minister's explanation that the report suggesting changes in rules of business is before the government only for discussion sake.

The CPI will not oppose all the recommendations made in the GAD report. It is understood that the report entails recommendations to avoid red tapes in government functioning which is acceptable to CPI.

However, the CPI's understanding is that the recommendations which pave the way for usurping the powers of ministers are totally against the spirit and principle of coalition ministry. 

It feels granting of more powers to the bureaucrats is part of the neo - liberal policies. Instead of decentralisation of powers, centralising power around chief minister is against the Left's well stated position on such matters. Since the CPM also will not be able to accept such recommendations and changes at policy level, the CPI believes that the government will be forced to roll back the move.

Meanwhile,  cabinet subcommittee chairman and law minister A K Balan is firm  on the position that time bound reforms are needed in the top level functioning of the government. He said all the speculations and conjectures being made about the report would be put to rest once it comes before the Cabinet for consideration.