Speaking to reporters in Kottayam, Vasavan described the administration as a “one-man show” and questioned whether ministers retained meaningful authority over the portfolios assigned to them. He said the pattern was causing administrative delays and affecting the public.
Vasavan cited the Electricity, Excise and Health departments, claiming their ministers had either professed ignorance of significant decisions or indicated that they could respond only after consulting the Chief Minister. His criticism centred on the controversy surrounding a proposed electricity purchase through a private trading platform.
Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph had said he was unaware of the decision concerning the private platform, Vasavan claimed, adding that the former chairman of the Kerala State Electricity Board had advised against the arrangement. He argued that such circumstances raised questions about consultation within the government and the division of responsibility between the Chief Minister’s Office and individual departments.
“So, it appears a one-man show is going on in this government with the ministers having no rights or power,” Vasavan said. He alleged that decisions were being delayed across departments and that ordinary people were bearing the consequences.
The allegations came as the government faced questions over a proposal to procure 500 megawatts of electricity through GNA Energy Private Limited. The controversy has involved differing assessments of the costs and merits of obtaining electricity through the platform rather than from Himachal Pradesh.
The Electricity Department and the power utility had examined the Himachal Pradesh option, while concerns were raised about the potential cost of purchases through the private arrangement during periods of peak demand. The dispute has prompted scrutiny of how the alternatives were evaluated and which authorities participated in the decision.
Satheesan has defended the government’s approach to power procurement, arguing that financial implications must be considered before approving a supply arrangement. He previously said the Himachal Pradesh proposal could create an additional liability of about Rs 2,232 crore, a figure that formed part of his justification for examining another option.
The Chief Minister has also said that the Electricity Minister forwarded a file containing two proposals for consideration. That account places the dispute within an official decision-making process, although it does not by itself resolve Vasavan’s allegation that ministers were inadequately consulted before important choices were made.
On Monday, the power situation also came under review following questions about whether additional purchases were immediately necessary. Government assessments indicated that the state would not face a power shortage over the next two months, reducing the urgency of entering into a new short-term arrangement.
The procurement controversy has consequently become a test of the administration’s internal coordination as well as its handling of electricity costs. Decisions about supply contracts involve the power utility, the responsible minister and other government authorities, making clarity about their respective roles particularly important.
Vasavan extended his criticism beyond the electricity dispute, arguing that responses attributed to ministers responsible for Excise and Health reflected a wider administrative problem. He did not, in the remarks available, identify comparable individual decisions in those two departments with the same specificity as the power purchase proposal.
His statements were made on the sidelines of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions state conference in Kottayam.
(The article ‘Vasavan alleges one-man show by CM Satheesan’ appeared first on Free Press Journal.)
Follow Arabian Post
Select Arabian Post as your preferred source on Google and MSN News for trusted business news and Arab politics and updates.
