Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government's budget session was in a quandary briefly on Thursday after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan refused to sign on the policy address. Attempts by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself had failed to placate the governor, who appeared determined to play hard ball on the eve of the budget session.
But eventually, the Governor gave his nod.
However, it was only after the LDF government agreed to transfer a senior staff in the General Administration Department, whose letter sent to Raj Bhavan had possibly angered the governor.
Recently, the state government had let know the Raj Bhavan its disapproval over the appointment of a BJP member as the governor's additional personal assistant.
The government, through its principal secretary, General Administration, KR Jyothilal, had written to the Governor saying 'appointing persons actively involved in politics or who owe allegiance to political parties or organisations having links with political parties in the Raj Bhavan' was unprecedented.
According to Manorama News, the governor agreed to ratify the policy address after it was communicated that KR Jyothilal will be transferred and Sarada Muraleedharan will be given the charge.
The ongoing love-hate relationship between Governor Khan and the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government had reached such a stage that it threatened to derail the budget session. Governor Khan, who is also the chancellor of universities, had been at loggerheads with the government over the appointments for vice-chancellors in Kerala's universities.
On Friday, Governor Khan is scheduled to deliver his policy address in the month-long budget session. Finance Minister KN Balagopal would present the budget on March 11.
It is understood that the governor had highlighted discrepancies with contributory pension as he dallied on signing the policy speech.
The governor had reportedly objected to ministers' personal staff getting pension benefits after just two-and-a-half years of service, without a contributory pension while the government staff is required to dole out their share.
The governor had reportedly urged the government to withdraw certain orders with regards to the contributory pension before he ratifies the policy address.
The Congress slammed both the Governor and the government over the issue, terming it as a drama. "It is a drama involving the government and the governor. Attempts are being made to bluff the people that there was a conflict between the government and the governor," Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, V D Satheesan, told reporters here.
He alleged that the drama was enacted as part of an agreement reached between the Governor and the Chief Minister with the knowledge of the BJP central leadership.
Attacking Khan, Satheesan said the Governor is acting as the spokesperson of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram. "The Governor is controlled by the BJP central leadership", he alleged.
Although CPM or the party-led government refused to make official, senior party leader and former minister M M Mani attacked the Governor, accusing him of playing "fourth rate politics" over the issue.
