CPM blasts under-performing ministers, flays Pinarayi’s police

The CPM state committee has come down heavily on a host of ministers in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala.

The performances of ministers holding the portfolios of Health, Local Self Governments, PWD, Transport, and Forest were given a poor rating by the CPM state committee.

The ministers were accused of showing an inclination to online interactions rather than travelling to meet the public. They were compared with the ministers in the first Pinarayi Vijayan government.

The state committee that was attended by at least 40 leaders observed that in the first Pinarayi government that began its term in May 2016, the ministers preferred to do their work among the people.

It is understood that the state committee did not name the ministers even though the performances of the various departments they handle were subjected to scrutiny.

AK Saseendran is Kerala’s Minister for Forests & Wildlife, MV Govindan Master handles Local Self Governments and Excise, PA Muhammad Riyas is PWD Minister, Antony Raju is Transport Minister and Veena George is the Minister for Health.

Incidentally, KK Shailaja who handled Health in the first Pinarayi Vijayan government was a hugely popular figure. Her efforts to contain the Nipah Virus situation and the handling of the COVID pandemic in the initial stages had won her plaudits.

Transferring the Health ministry to Veena George even as Shailaja had been re-elected with a record majority of 67,013 votes was a talking point post-election.

The state committee was also critical of the Kerala Police, pointing fingers at its top brass. It urged the state government to ensure firm control over the police force.