Published Nov 15, 2023 | 12:12 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 15, 2023 | 12:13 PM
File photo of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the Kerala Raj Bhavan (Supplied)
When 50-year-old paddy farmer KG Prasad died by suicide in the Thakazhy village of the Alappuzha district on 11 November after repeated denial of an agricultural loan by banks, it exposed the severity of the agrarian distress prevailing in the low-laying Kuttanad backwater region, known widely as the rice bowl of Kerala.
Governor Arif Mohammad Khan was among those who used the occasion to blame the Pinarayi Vijayan government in the state for the debt-driven suicides of smallholder farmers.
Khan waded into the politically sensitive issue by visiting the farmer’s residence and consoling the family. He later told reporters that the state government was splurging on celebrations. In contrast, farmers and pensioners in Kerala were suffering, he said.
“They are spending money on celebrations. What should I say if the poor farmer is not a priority for the government? The people of the state will take notice of it,” he said.
More importantly, the Governor also advised the government to adopt austerity measures to tide over the acute financial crisis the state is faced with.
Then, on Tuesday, 14 November, the cash-strapped state government issued a notification in response to a demand from Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor. It was circulated among news outlets, indirectly communicating how much austerity the state can afford.
The notification was for filling the permanent vacancy of a washerman at the Raj Bhavan at a pay scale of ₹23,700-52,600.
The General Administration Department is all set to fill the vacancy, as the previous washerman at the Raj Bhavan retired last week.
In the meantime, the government also started a media campaign against the austerity-loving Governor by selectively leaking a request from his office for a 36-fold hike in allocations for guest relations, tours, entertainment, contract allowance, office expenses, and refurbishing of office furniture.
If the government had to approve the request, it would have to spend at least ₹2.6 crore during this fiscal alone, while many priorities of the government, including welfare pensions, are slipping into arrears.
According to highly-placed government sources South First reached out to, no previous Governor has exerted such financial pressure on the state, especially at a time it was reeling under a severe resource crunch.
In the last 10 years, the government has spent hardly ₹3 crore on the heads specified by the Governor. Per year, it came to around ₹30 lakh.
According to the government sources, states are bound to meet Governors’ expenses as per the Governors Allowances and Privileges Rules of 1987. As per these rules, the maximum a Raj Bhavan can avail under these heads is ₹32 lakh.
In the case of guest relations and hospitality, the Governor is seeking a 20-fold hike as per the request received by the state government.
For tours, Khan wants a 36-fold increase, and it is more than double for entertainment. A sevenfold hike has been requested for contract allowance, while office expenses and refurbishing office furniture also seem to need a sevenfold hike.
It was hardly a week ago that state government agency Supplyco refused to give fuel on credit to Raj Bhavan vehicles because of the pending arrears created by the default on the part of the state government.
When Raj Bhavan officials contacted the General Administration Department, some of the arrears were cleared to restore the fuel supply on credit.
The state Horticulture Corporation also has a lot of arrears from the government for supplying vegetables to the Raj Bhavan.
“Many are suffering without a pension. A huge amount is spent on the personal staff of ministers. They are sanctioning pensions after two years of service to the personal staff of ministers. This is how the government works, spending money on celebrations when poor farmers are suffering. You can see what the government prioritises,” Khan had said earlier.
Though the Governor chose not to make any public comments on the development — he evaded questions related to it in press interactions — sources in his office wondered why the state government was not raising the issue directly with the Khan.
Meanwhile, General Administration Department records reveal that the Governor was on tour for 223 days in the last two financial years, which caused financial difficulty for the state. He took most of his flights to Delhi, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
Though the budgetary allocation for the Governor’s travel this financial year was ₹10 lakh, the government has already sanctioned ₹15 lakh.
After assuming office, the Governor has so far spent ₹1.18 crore on air travel. He has a pending request to give a travel advance worth ₹75 lakh.
During the New Year celebrations this year, the Governor hosted 50 guests in Kovalam. The government guest house there was handed over fully to the guests.
The state is also paying the salaries of over 150 staff at the Governor’s office and residence.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters recently that the LDF would soon organise a farmers’ march to the Raj Bhavan against Khan if he did not sign the Land Reforms Amendment Bill.
“The Governor, who has to sign it, is taking positions no one understands. Against this, neither the UDF nor the BJP in Kerala are ready to speak for the farmers. This amendment is not just for the LDF members of the Idukki district but for the people,” the chief minister told reporters in Kottayam.
