Thiruvananthapuram: With the
LDF state committee on Monday clearing the proposal put forth by the CPM, the re-entry of
E P Jayarajan to state
cabinet will happen on Tuesday. Govenor P Sathasivam will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Jayarajan at Raj Bhavan at 10am. LDF state committee also approved the change in portfolio of ministers recommended by the
CPM state committee.
To protest the decision, the UDF will boycott the swearing in ceremony.
Opposition leader
Ramesh Chennithala said, “The reinduction of E P Jayarajan is nothing but unethical.”
“The government had shifted Jacob Thomas from the post of vigilance director to give clean chit to Jayarajan. CPM turned the investigation into a mockery,” said the opposition leader after the UDF meeting on Monday.
The decision was taken unanimously as the LDF also offered chief whip post with cabinet rank to CPI. LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan said
CPI hadn’t raised a demand for ministerial berth and the decision to offer chief whip post to the CPI was taken collectively, in a cordial manner. The CPI will decide its nominee for the post in the state executive meeting on August 20.
With Jayarajan and the new chief whip, the LDF government will have 25 members in cabinet rank. Apart from 20 ministers and chief whip, speaker, deputy speaker, administrative reforms commission chairman V S Achuthanandan and commission for forward caste chairman R Balakrishnan Pillai enjoy cabinet rank. With each of the cabinet ministers entitled for 25 personal staff members, the two new appointments alone will incur an additional expenditure of salary and pension for 50 new employees.
Criticizing the decision, Chennithala said when the UDF decided to appoint P C George as chief whip, LDF were in the forefront criticising it.“The LDF came to power claiming several austerity measures to bring down the expenses. Now, the LDF will have 25 cabinet rank posts which is equivalent to that of the previous UDF government,” he said.
After the swearing-in, the cabinet will meet at 11am.
