Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan raised a contention in the Assembly that Governor Rajendra Arlekar had made certain additions and deletions to the policy address.
The governor delivered the customary policy address to mark the commencement of the final session of the Fifteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly. It is under the provisions of Article 176 that the governor addresses the Legislative Assembly at the first session of every year.
“In paragraphs 12, 15 and 16 of the policy address approved by the Council of Ministers, certain changes were made in the governor’s speech. In accordance with the spirit of the Constitution and the conventions of the House, the policy address approved by the Council of Ministers is what prevails,” the Chief Minister said in the assembly.
He added that since the address delivered by the governor in the House is the government’s policy statement, paragraphs 12, 15 and 16 approved by the Council of Ministers stand as they are. The portions omitted by the governor were those that either directly criticised the Union government or indirectly criticised the governor himself.
In an unusual move, the chief minister read out the omitted portions in the Assembly.
“The first sentence of paragraph 12 of the policy address approved by the Council of Ministers is as follows: ‘Despite achieving such social and institutional gains, Kerala continues to face a severe financial strain as a result of the Union Government’s continued adverse measures that weaken the constitutional principles of fiscal federalism.’ This sentence was omitted by the Hon’ble Governor,” the Chief Minister read out.
Vijayan also said that the last two sentences of paragraph 15—referring to Bills passed by State Legislatures being kept pending for long periods—were also omitted.
The last sentence of paragraph 16 of the policy address approved by the Council of Ministers reads: “Tax devolution and Finance Commission grants are constitutional rights of the States and not acts of generosity, and any pressure exerted on the constitutional institutions entrusted with this responsibility weakens federal principles.”
To this sentence, the governor added the words “my government believes,” according to the chief minister.
Notably, the governor did read portions relating to the Kerala government’s concerns over excessive centralisation of powers and increasing intervention in subjects within the State’s domain. The policy address also included references to the Union Finance Ministry cutting back the State government’s open market borrowing limit with retrospective effect, which it termed a highly prejudicial action.
The governor also read portions expressing the Kerala government’s concerns over the transformation of the MGNREG programme into VB-GRAM G, citing that Union assistance for the scheme had come down from 100 per cent to 60 per cent, thereby placing an additional burden on State finances.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan came down strongly on both the State government and the governor. Satheesan said the government’s policy address was packed with falsehoods. He added that the government had openly admitted, through the policy address, that it was facing a severe financial crisis. Satheesan pointed out that while the government had earlier claimed that Rs 53,000 crore was due from the Centre, it had now avoided mentioning those figures in the policy address.
Satheesan further noted that, according to the Constitution, the governor is required to read out the address approved by the Cabinet. “If the governor has deliberately omitted or added portions to it, that is wrong. The governor has no authority to do so; the policy address is not a platform for the governor to express personal views. We agree with what the government has stated on this matter. However, the Cabinet-approved address itself contains false claims,” he said.
He was responding to the chief minister later reading out in the Assembly the portions omitted by the governor. Satheesan, however, mocked the perceived dispute between the governor and the government as mere drama, saying they clash when a crisis arises and later arrive at a compromise.