By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Secretary Lizzie Jacob’s decision to go on long leave, apparently hurt by a remark by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, rocked the state assembly Friday.
On Wednesday Achuthanandan said Jacob had erred in not informing the state government about the construction of a helipad for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit at Ponmudi, where the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had purchased a controversial plot of land to build an educational institute.
Seeking leave for an adjournment motion, senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran said this was the first time in the history of the state that the top bureaucrat had to go on long leave leading to retirement.
“People of Kerala wish to know why you (Achuthanandan) and your government are time and again harassing officials. Last week you gave a clean chit to Jacob and yesterday you said she has erred. This has surfaced due to your inefficiency because the visit of VVIPs is handled by the general administration department under you and you say you are not aware of anything,” Sudhakaran said.
In reply, Achuthanandan said he heads a government that does not have any qualms in correcting government officials through words.
“You may not have the courage to do it, but we will do it and it has won the appreciation of government officials. She has applied for leave and we are talking out the issues and there is nothing unusual about it,” said Achuthanandan.
But Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy said it was quite unusual to hear a chief minister say he did not know anything about the spending of Rs.10 million from the state coffers to build a helipad.
“How come neither the forest minister (Benoy Viswom) nor the chief minister has seen the file about it when the finance minister has seen it? It is sad that you do not even know what is happening in your department.
“Please own up responsibility for your inefficiency and don’t blame officials. You have no other go but to boot out Viswom who is responsible for the ISRO land scam,” said Chandy before leading the opposition out of the house.
The helipad was constructed to facilitate the visit of the prime minister to inaugurate the space education institute, for which ISRO had purchased a plot from Savy Mano Mathew, a private individual.
The opposition has charged that the plot belonged not to Mathew but to the state forest department.
The Congress-led opposition also continued their relay strike in the foyer of the assembly demanding for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the controversial ISRO land deal.
Jacob, on her part, met Achuthanandan. Informed sources said the chief minister requested her to reconsider her decision and return to work.
Meanwhile, ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair inaugurated the institute, which began its classes at the ISRO centre here near the airport.
He said that there was nothing controversial about the land deal.
“All the prescribed formalities in buying land were followed and there is nothing wrong in it. The prime minister will come here to lay the foundation stone for the institute’s own campus,” said Nair.