PIL in High Court accuses state govt of misusing public funds for Nava Kerala Survey

Kochi, Jan 13 (PTI) The High Court here on Tuesday admitted a PIL accusing the state government of "misusing public funds" for carrying out a survey, Nava Kerala Citizen Response Program, ahead of the Assembly elections.

A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M gave the state time till January 21 to present its stand on the public interest litigation (PIL) moved by KSU state president Aloshious Xavier.

The petition, filed through advocate Tissy Rose K Cheriyan, has alleged "patent misuse" of public exchequer funds and government machinery for a "partisan political campaign disguised as an administrative exercise".

The survey commenced on January 1 and is scheduled to be completed by February 28, the plea has said.

It has been claimed that the exercise was being carried out by recruiting CPI(M) cadres and sympathisers as volunteers for the survey teams.

It has been contended that, as a result, a state-funded initiative was being turned into a "door-to-door political outreach and manifesto-preparation drive for the ruling front".

The plea has further contended that the government already has data collection mechanisms, primarily through the Kerala State Planning Board, and it had recently concluded a four-year-long survey process (2021-2025) to identify and eradicate extreme poverty.

"Given that extensive data regarding the socio-economic status of every household has already been verified and digitised, initiating a fresh, massive data collection drive just four months before the government's tenure ends is devoid of any genuine administrative purpose," Xavier has contended in his plea.

He has sought directions from the High Court to the government to "disclose the detailed plan and financial resources of the proposed survey" and stop misuse of public funds for personal or political gains of the ruling party.

Besides that, the plea also urges the court to "monitor the performance of the scheme and the utilisation of the state's financial resources for the implementation of the proposed survey".

As an interim relief, the plea has urged the court to halt the survey and direct that no funds be released for it till the petition is disposed of. PTI HMP ADB