Thiruvananthapuram: Additional chief secretary (revenue) P.H. Kurian has reportedly informed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that the order sanctioning Rs 8 lakh from the disaster relief fund was issued on the instructions of the then chief secretary K.M. Abraham.
Sources said Kurian spoke to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over phone and explained his position. The revenue secretary informed that Abraham had also handed over the letter from State Police Chief for arranging helicopter. Subsequently, he issued the order to sanction the amount from the chief minister’s disaster relief fund.
Kurian also met CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran and spoke about the helicopter issue. The revenue secretary had called on the CPI leader to invite him for his son’s marriage.
The CPI state secretary, however, declined to react on the helicopter controversy. “I have seen the report only in the media. I have no other information. I will respond after examining the issue,” he told media persons.
Earlier, revenue minister E. Chandrashekharan sought an explanation from Kurian on the issue. “I understand that the Chief Minister has scrapped the order sanctioning '8 lakh from disaster relief fund for helicopter expenses. The Chief Minister and his office were not aware of the order. Even I and my office had no intimation about the matter. The issue has created huge embarrassment for the Chief Minister and the government,” Mr Chandrashekharan said in a note.
The revenue minister directed the additional chief secretary to explain the circumstances that led to the issuance of the order.
Meanwhile, DGP Loknath Behera refuted reports that he had engaged the helicopter for the Chief Minister. “We are a security agency. We deal only with security matters,” he told media persons.
However, the explanation given by Kurian and the order indicated that it was based on the DGP’s letter that the helicopter was arranged.
The explanation of Chief Minister's office that they were not aware of the order has also fallen flat. A copy of the order was marked to the private secretary of the chief minister.
