 "CPI(M) draws up list of dos and don'ts for its ministers")
Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), has drawn up a set of guidelines for its ministers in Kerala, which includes keeping away from private functions, ensuring their presence in the state capital five days a week and to desist from making any off hand announcements.
Briefing reporters after the two-day CPI(M) State Committee, which evaluated the election campaign and outcome of the May 16 polls, Party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that a set of guidelines has been drawn up for CPI(M) ministers. Policy matters should be first discussed, only after which ministers should make any announcements, he said.
Apparently, after being embarrassed by Industries Minister E P Jayarajan's remark describing legendary late boxer Muhammad Ali as a 'Keralite', CPI-M also decided that impromptu comments by ministers without asserting facts should be avoided.
"The ministers should avoid attending functions organised by private persons. However if it is unavoidable, they should inform the party and seek necessary permission," Balakrishnan said, adding that the tendency of several ministers attending a single function should also be done away with.
The committee decided that ministers should be in the state capital for five days a week to receive petitions from the public and they should follow this strictly. They should also remain in their offices during visitors' time.
The party also wanted complaints of public to be resolved in a time-bound manner and files should not be kept pending.
"The deserving should get justice. Those approaching the government must go back satisfied," Kodiyeri said.
The Cabinet, as a team, should tackle each issue unitedly. All offices, including that of ministers, should be corruption-free, he said.
Government will formulate guidelines for transfer of officials, he said.
"With the party coming to power, party comrades, leaders and ministers should not distance themselves from the people. Because we are in power, the number of people approaching party offices for help is increasing. But party offices should not transform themselves into centres of power," he said.
"This LDF (Left Democratic Front) government is a government of the people. The act of party workers and ministers should benefit the common man," he added.
Kodiyeri said that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had faced a severe drubbing in the polls. RSP and Janata Dal (U), which had left LDF and joined UDF, had failed to win a single seat. UDF had received 38.8 per cent vote and it was only in 2009 that the front had received less than 40 per cent votes, he said.
The state committee also decided to look into the reasons for the unexpected setbacks in Kasaragod, Manjeswaram, Vattiyoorkavu, Poonjar and Palakkad.
In keeping with the changing times, party activities will go in for a makeover, he said. During the election, the intervention of social media had helped the party and these sort of interventions would continue, he added.
