Kerala splurged Rs 2.28 lakh to fly down leaders of the ruling LDF and their family members to capital Thiruvananthapuram after the inauguration of the Kannur International Airport on Sunday. Kerala government-run Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC) arranged for the travel of all the CPI(M) leaders and their family, including CPI(M) Kerala Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and his family members.
The move has raised many eyebrows as the extravagant expense comes at a time when Kerala is recuperating from the August deluge. Leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, other ministers and Balakrishnan, who holds no position in the government, took the first flight to Thiruvananthapuram at 3pm after the grand inauguration of the airport. Most of them were accompanied by their families, too.
In addition, many local CPI(M) and LDF leaders also flew in the first flight, all at taxpayers' expense. According to reports, ODEPC had booked tickets for 63 members on the GoAir flight that flew 190 passengers in total, including the crew. It is learnt that the mass-booking was done on Thursday.
The untimely expense has been seen as a bad mark on the state government that is on an austerity mode after the August floods. The massive floods caused loss of lives and property worth Rs 31,000 crore, as per studies conducted by the World Bank and the United Nations. The Kerala government has been on a mission to raise funds from across the world to rebuild the state.
The amount—Rs 2.28 lakh—might be considered a small amount compared to what Kerala is looking to raise, but that is no reason to justify an unwanted expense on the government exchequer, especially when the state government was at the receiving end for forcing government employees to forego a month's salary to fund development post the August floods.
It is to be noted that the Kerala government had invited criticism for mismanagement of Ockhi relief fund earlier this year.
—Via Onmanorama
