Ending weeks of media speculation about whether and, if so how, former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan would be accommodated in a position that tallies with his stature in State politics, the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet on Wednesday decided to appoint the CPI(M) veteran the chairman of the fourth Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission with Cabinet rank.
He would head a three-member Commission with former Chief Secretaries C.P. Nair and Neela Gangadharan as its members, who would enjoy the status of Chief Secretary. The Cabinet decision comes shortly after the Kerala Assembly approved an amendment to The Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Act of 1951 to ensure that an MLA does not attract disqualification even if he/she takes charge of an office of profit. The Commission has been formed with the objective of improving efficiency of the State administration.
Pending petition The proposal to make Mr. Achuthanandan chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission was mooted when the CPI(M) leadership decided to overlook his claim to be the Chief Minister and picked party Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan for the job. Mr. Achuthanandan had reportedly sought the Cabinet rank position besides return to the party State secretariat. Whether the CPI(M) would accept his second demand is still in the realm of speculation.
A petition questioning the government move to appoint Mr. Achuthanandan to the post is pending before the Kerala High Court, but the government has chosen to go ahead and appoint him to the post.
The first Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission was headed by the State’s first Chief Minister E.M.S. Namboodiripad, the second by senior civil servant M.K. Vellodi, and the third by former Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar.
