THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ongoing debates on the legal and ethical validity of the proposed ordinance to amend Kerala Lok Ayukta Act approved by the state cabinet last week seem to have prompted Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to take a cautious approach towards signing it.
Even five days after receiving the ordinance, the governor has not signed the ordinance and it is learnt that a decision will be taken only next week. On Thursday evening, Khan left for Lakshadweep on a private visit and he will be back in the state capital only on February 1.
On Thursday, a delegation of senior Opposition leaders led by V D Satheesan met the governor and requested him not to sign the ordinance that is “frivolous, politically driven and in stark contravention to the established laws of the country”.
After meeting the governor, Satheesan told reporters that Khan promised them to look into all aspects before taking a decision. Sources in the Raj Bhavan told TNIE that the governor is contemplating to seek a fresh legal advice from an expert, other than the advocate general, to have clarification on the points raised in several complaints he has received.
The UDF delegation including former chief minister Oommen Chandy and former leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala also asked the governor to refer the ordinance for Presidential assent as the original act of 1999 was approved by the President.
LDF govt humiliated Nayanar, says Satheesan
T’Puram: Justifying the decision to bring an ordinance instead of an act, Rajeeve said there was no certainty on convening an assembly session as Covid situation was raging. “When the assembly is
convened next, we have the major responsibility of presenting the budget and passing that. We can’t say how many days can be devoted for legislative business. Though we promulgate an ordinance now, soon a bill to replace that will be presented in the assembly,” he said. Satheesan also alleged the incumbent LDF government has humiliated former chief minister E K Nayanar and the former law minister E Chandrasekharan Nair, who were the architects of Lok Ayukta Act, 1999.