In a bid to douse the controversy over the arrangement of the names of Ministers in the government diary, the General Administration Department has issued a circular directing departments to list the names of Ministers in the alphabetical order in government publications and while arranging seats during official functions.
Early last month, the government had halted the printing of diaries for 2017 at government presses after the CPI, the second biggest coalition partner in the LDF, raised a stiff protest over the printing of the names of all ten CPI(M) Ministers ahead of the rest of their Cabinet colleagues.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan later ordered the diaries to be freshly printed after making the necessary correction.
The row had caused acute embarrassment to the government and provided ammunition for the Opposition to raise allegations about unrest within the ruling front.
The circular issued by the General Administration Department said the Minister in charge of the host department should be accommodated closest to the Chief Minister at official functions, with the other Ministers arranged in alphabetical order.
All departments have been directed to abide by the instructions in the circular.
