Putting speculation to rest, Kerala’s CPI(M)-led lDF Government has appointed nonagenarian Marxist and former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan, chief architect of the massive victory of the left in the Assembly election held in May, as chairman of the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission with Cabinet rank.
The decision to appoint Achuthanandan as the head of the three-member panel was taken by the State Cabinet at a meeting on Wednesday chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his bête noire in the party. The other members of the commission are former Chief Secretaries Neela Gangadharan and CP Nair. They will have the rank of Chief Secretary.
Achuthanandan as chairman of the commission will be entitled for official residence and vehicle. He will also have personal staff. With the appointment, the central leadership of the CPI(M) can feel relieved that its post-election promise to grant Achuthanandan an honourable position – instead of the CM’s post – has finally been fulfilled.
This is the fourth time such a commission is being constituted in the State. The other commissions were constituted in 1957 when EMS Namboothiripad was Chief Minister, in 1968 under senior civil servant MK Vellodi and in 1998 when EK Nayanar was CM. In 1957 and 1998, the commissions were headed by the then Chief Ministers.
The Administration Reforms Commission headed by Achuthanandan cannot interfere in the day-to-day functioning of the Government. At the same time, the commission’s head will not have to report directly to the Chief Minister. The panel’s main functions will be to evaluate Government administration, introduce corrections and offer recommendations.
On July 19, the State Assembly had passed an amendment to the legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Act of 1951 to ensure that Achuthanandan, an elected MlA, did not attract any disqualification when he was appointed in a position with Cabinet rank as per the office of profit norm.
Achuthanandan has been appointed as the panel head just when a PIl is pending before the High Court questioning the process, but the Government does not seem to attach much importance to it. The petition contends that the Government’s move is merely to compensate Achuthanandan for leading the lDF’s campaign in the last Assembly election.
The Opposition Congress has already come out with the criticism that the appointment is part of a CPI(M) strategy to keep Achuthanandan, a critic of the party’s neo-liberalist faction headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi, silent. Achuthanandan’s own response to the appointment is expected to come after he gets the official communication regarding it.
Observers feel that Achuthanandan, indisputably the most popular politician in the State, will now have to face the criticism that he is just another politician running after coveted positions. “Just a few weeks ago, he had assured the people that he will remain their sentinel. It will be interesting to see how he can keep his word now,” said a senior journalist with leftist leaning.
“It remains to be seen how Achuthanandan can intervene in people’s issues while occupying the new position, which is apolitical,” said a ex-CPI(M) theorist.