With the seven legislators belonging to the ruling Congress and its alliance partner Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam all set to take over the reins of Corporations after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) concurred with the Cabinet decision to reappoint them in their respective posts, the ruling government in all probability will exploit to the hilt the MHA order in its turf war with Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi to assert the supremacy of Cabinet.
The MHA last week wrote to the secretary to the Lt. Governor that the Cabinet decision to reappoint legislators — R. Siva, T. Djeamourthy, M.N.R. Balan, A. Geetha, E. Theepainthan, V. Vizeaveny and N. Danavelou as Chairman/Chairperson to various Corporations “appears to be in order.”
L-G favoured appraisal
Ms. Bedi had questioned the Cabinet decision to extend the tenure of legislators as she favoured an appraisal of their performance during the previous year before reappointing them. She referred the matter to the Union Home Ministry.
“It is stated that the issue has been examined in this Ministry and it has been concluded that the appointment of seven MLAs as Chairpersons of Corporations/Statutory Bodies, as per the decision of the Cabinet, appears to be in order,” she said.
The ruling party members were of the view that the MHA decision was a blow to the Lieutenant Governor as the government had taken a consistent stand that giving “appraisal to a legislator is the job of voters and not that of Lt. Governor.”
‘Vindicates our stand’
More than that, a senior functionary said, the MHA order vindicated our persistent stand that “a Cabinet decision adds more value in a democratic polity,” he said.
“She wrongly stopped a Cabinet decision. Certainly it is a victory for the government and it will help us fight the Lieutenant Governor in a democratic manner,” he said.
The decision has also come as a breather for the Chief Minister as the endless wait for the chairpersons post had made certain legislators restless and a few had started issuing statements critical of the ruling government.
The long delay in their reappointment could have caused embarrassment to the government and knowing it fully well, the Chief Minister had been pressing for any early settlement of the issue during his Delhi visits, a source told The Hindu.