Though Chief Minister-designate Pinarayi Vijayan has asked the Minister-designates to avoid large-scale renovation of their official residences so as to check expenditure, many official residences, including Cliff House, the official residence of the Chief Minister, and Rose House need urgent repairs.
Official sources said a bedroom on the first floor of the Cliff House needed urgent repairs before the onset of monsoon. The roof of Rose House at Vazhuthacaud, where former Urban Affairs Minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali was staying, was leaking and tarpaulins and sheets had been used to give a protective cover, sources said.
19 yet to be vacated
The condition of the other 19 official residences under Kerala Tourism is not known, as the Ministers of the Chandy Ministry have not vacated them.
The PWD Buildings division will have to take care of the repairs of these 21 bungalows.
A meeting chaired by Chief Secretary S.M. Vijayanand here last week decided to leave it to the Ministers to decide on the revamp of the official residences.
Inventory being made
The hospitality wing of Kerala Tourism is responsible for making available furniture and utensils to these official residences.
The old ones are taken back to the central store, near Raj Bhavan, and new ones are provided on request. The authorities are preparing an inventory of the furniture and materials.
In the previous LDF Ministry headed by V.S. Achuthanandan, Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran had courted controversy over lavishly spending to modify their official residences.
The two Ministers had spent Rs.17 lakh and Rs.11 lakh respectively for modifying their official houses — Manmohan Bungalow and Xanadu. The PWD Vigilance wing had launched a probe into it. The officials are also relieved that as there are only 19 Ministers they do not have to look for private residences to accommodate Ministers. The official residences of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are behind the Legislature.
