By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government has moved the Supreme Court against an order of the Kerala High Court quashing a Government Order (GO), issued in October 25, to conduct a door-to-door survey titled ‘Nava Kerala Citizen Response Programme’.
The programme was aimed at reaching out to the public to elicit their suggestions on development and welfare measures.
The special leave petition submitted by the State Government contended that the High Court intrudes into matters of public policy not only to stall a programme approved by the Council of Ministers of the State but also to set aside consequential financial sanction and budgetary proceedings.
“The High Court interfered with the Government’s power to implement governance and seriously prejudiced the ability of the State to take policy decisions involving public expenditure and thus disturbed the constitutional balance between the executive and judiciary,” the petition submitted.
The programme, Kerala said, was envisaged as a time-bound Statewide exercise from January 2026 to February 2026 for collection of public opinion and suggestions regarding development and welfare schemes. The State also submitted that Rs 20 crore had been set aside under the Budget head ‘Special PR Campaign’.
The High Court’s intervention came on a writ petition alleging that the programme violated the Rules of Business framed under Article 166(3) of the Constitution. The petitioners’ contention was that the allocation of Rs 20 crore amounted to diversion or misuse of public funds and required legislative sanction under Articles 202 to 205 of the Constitution.
The State Government countered this argument by claiming that the programme had received Cabinet approval and that administrative and financial sanctions were issued along with detailed budgetary proceedings. “The High Court failed to appreciate that the Rules of Business are internal executive instructions intended for convenient transaction of governmental business and are directory in nature. Non-compliance with such internal allocation of business does not ipso facto render executive action void,” the appeal to the apex court argued.
The High Court’s order came on two public interest litigations filed by Kerala Students’ Union president Aloshious Xavier and Ernakulam native Mubas M. H. challenging the programme.
In his petition, Xavier alleged that the Kerala Government was misusing public funds to implement the programme with an eye on the Assembly elections.
While hearing the petition, the High Court found ‘sufficient grounds’ to direct the government to keep in abeyance all steps and proceedings initiated pursuant to the order. It further held that the expenditure incurred for the programme violated the “Rules of Business”. Therefore, the order has been set aside, to the extent it authorised the Information and Public Relations Department to utilise Rs 20 crore under the ‘Special PR Campaign,” the court said.
Explaining the fund misuse claim, the petitioner referred to a letter issued by the State secretary of the CPI(M) in September 2025, prior to the issuance of the Government Order. The ruling party and the LDF had ‘insider knowledge’ of the programme, the petition alleged, adding that they had prepared their members and supporters in advance to dominate the volunteer force. It amounted to converting the programme into a party campaign tool for the Assembly elections, the petitioners claimed.
The Government, however, defended the programme, maintaining that it was a development and welfare study and a policy matter beyond the scope of judicial review by the High Court.
It also claimed that all procedures prescribed under the Budget Manual and Financial Code had been duly followed.
The court, after considering the submissions, remarked that much remained to be desired in terms of fiscal discipline the Government is expected to maintain in handling public funds. The court further held that allocations were being made to departments in disregard of the Rules of Business, and that even budgetary allocations and self-imposed fiscal norms were not being strictly adhered to.
Meanwhile, in a disturbing development, the makers of the “schismatic and derogatory” film “The Kerala Story”, are planning the release of the second part of the movie.
Promptly condemning the move, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed grave concern over it. The original movie, he said, was a malicious lie which sought to discredit Kerala and undermine its secular and social fabric. The film was made, he added, by forces which were fearful of Kerala’s communal harmony and fraternity. The Sangh Parivar forces had promoted the film to propagate a false narrative about Kerala. Such forces are the enemies of the State, he stated.
The saffron forces, Pinarayi remarked, had banned the film Beef taking exception to its name. However, the same forces had no qualms about giving screening permission to films which sought to inject communal poison into society.
The objective of these forces was to discredit Kerala, which topped the country in development, poverty eradication, health care, education and physical quality of life indices. He urged the people to defeat the nefarious designs of such forces with all the force at their command. In Kerala, the government should seek a ban on the release of the film. (IPA Service)
Asia-Pacific To Miss 88 Per Cent Of The Sustainable Development Goals By 2030 