KOCHI: The state government on Tuesday sought the permission of the Kerala High Court to send bulk messages expressing gratitude to those who contributed to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). In the backdrop of houses constructed and being allotted to the Wayanad disaster victims, the government intends to send messages to the donors acknowledging their support.
The court said that if the government files a request in this regard, it will be considered. The court issued the direction when the petitions filed by Rasheed Ahammed, Associate Professor at KTM College, Kollam, and Anil Kumar K M, Clerical Assistant in the General Administration Department, Thiruvananthapuram, came up for hearing.
The petitioners alleged that personal data submitted for official purposes had been accessed and misused for promotional messaging ahead of the assembly elections.
The state government submitted that the communication sent on behalf of the chief minister of the state addressed to the employees regarding the grant of arrears of Dearness Allowances and reinstatement of House Building Advances, which were budgetary assurances, cannot be, by any stretch of imagination, termed to be political in nature.
The messages have been sent to the employees with regard to their service emoluments granted by the government. There is not even any reference to any political party.