The Kerala government on Monday issued a revised order against a top revenue official whose good service entry was cancelled recently. The latest order means the CPM-led Left government is stubborn in its stance against O G Salini, Under Secretary, Revenue, who has earned its wrath for releasing files under Right To Information on the controversial tree felling order.
Salini saw her good service entry, given by Revenue Secretary A Jayathilak a few months ago, cancelled last week, stating that "her integrity is doubtful". The Congress-led opposition has protested the move terming it "vindictive action" against a woman officer.
The revised government order has the same content of the previous one. The only difference is that now the responsibility of the order has been taken by the government, while in the previous one, it was attributed to Jayathilak.
This new order is likely to create earn flak for the government, especially state Revenue Minister K Rajan, who, after the first order came out, feigned ignorance of it, saying that there was no rule that every file should be seen by the minister concerned.
The new order, saying that the decision was taken by the government, has already evoked reactions with Congress taking to the streets to protest.
Veteran party lawmaker and former Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala expressed dismay in what was happening in the government and how officials are being taken to task for doing their duty.
The CPI in Kerala, the second-biggest constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front, is in a spot ever since the tree felling scam, to the tune of around Rs 150 crore, surfaced last month, as it was then Revenue Minister E Chandrasekheran, of the party, who had issued orders for felling of trees in Wayanad and other eight districts in October last year, holding that no permission was required for felling of royal trees such as sandalwood, rosewood, teak wood, and ebony.
Incidentally, it was questions relating to this episode that Salini gave replies through the RTI plea that came before her, leaving the Vijayan government fuming.
With the Assembly session set to commence from July 22, this issue could see the Vijayan government face the heat.
(With inputs from IANS)
