Kerala Lokayukta To Probe Misuse Of Disaster Relief Funds, Sends Notice To CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala's Lokayukta has admitted a complaint alleging misuse of Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and has reportedly sent a notice to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, reports The Indian Express.

A bench comprising Lokayukta Justice Pius C Kuriakose, and Upa-Lokayukta Justices K P Balachandran and A K Basheer on 15 January, admitted a complaint filed by RS Sashi Kumar.

Reports suggest that was a disagreement among the Lokayukta and one of the Upa-Lokayukta regarding the jurisdiction to probe disbursement of assistance from CMDRF, however, the bench was constituted after deliberations.

The bench decided that the Lokayukta can admit the complaint and has ordered that notices be sent to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues.

However, while admitting the complaint, Lokayukta did clarify that it had not found any of the party guilty of the allegations levelled. It said that it was only seen that there was a warrant for admitting the complaint and conducting an investigation on whether anybody is guilty.

The complaint has alleged favouritism in sanctioning financial aid from the fund to late NCP leader Uzhavoor Vijayan, late CPI(M) MLA K K Ramachandran Nair and to the family of Praveen, a civil police officer who died in an accident while undertaking escort duty for ruling CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

The complainant has sought disqualification of the chief minister and the other ministers for misusing the fund.