THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Law Minister A. K. Balan on Saturday ruled out giving solar commission report to anyone before tabling it in the Assembly. The minister said there was no rule which prescribed that report should be given to the seekers before placing it in the Assembly. The content of the commission report was the right of the Assembly. Mr Balan said the government had time of up to six months to present the report before Assembly and the government would take steps accordingly. His response came in the wake of former chief minister Oommen Chandy filing an RTI before the chief secretary to get the report findings in full.
The law minister said there was no strength in the arguments and the issues being raised in connection with the commission findings. It is totally baseless to say that the commission had transgressed the terms of reference. The opposition had alleged that the findings announced by the Chief Minister were at variance with terms of reference of the commission. As per Commission of Enquiry Act, the terms of reference of the panel are set and accordingly the report has to be filed.
The minister said; “when Oommen Chandy government finalised the terms of reference, the LDF had clearly pointed out that the issues to be probed by the commission were deficient. At that time the then chief minister had assured the House that the issues raised by the opposition would also be taken into consideration. The commission probed the matter on that basis."
Mr Balan said Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala's allegation that law secretary's opinion was not taken on the findings of the report was absurd and baseless. Advocate General's is one of the highest constitutional posts in the state and even law secretary sought his opinion, he said. The UDF leadership had earlier alleged that both AG and director general of prosecution were political appointees hence the government should have taken the opinion of the law secretary as well. With the government refusing to provide the full findings of the commission, the former chief minister's and other Congress leaders' legal fight against the findings is likely to get delayed.
