Govt to amend law to give Achuthanandan post of ARC chairman

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid reports that Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan is set to be appointed Chairman of Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission, the LDF government Monday decided to amend the relevant law to confer him the post with cabinet rank.

A draft bill to amend the law related to the commission was approved by the state cabinet which met here, an official release said.

According to sources, the bill is envisaged to make necessary amendments in the present law to remove technical obstacles to confer Achuthanandan, also an MLA in the state Assembly, the post with cabinet rank.

If the 92-year-old CPIM leader, who represents Malampuzha in the assembly, takes up the Chairmanship of the panel without amending the existing law, he may face disqualification for holding dual posts, they said.

The government was planning to present the bill in the ongoing assembly session itself, the sources added.

They said late party veterans E M S Namboodiripad and E K Nayanar had held the chairmanship of Administrative Reforms Commission in the past.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and politbureau member Prakash Karat had recently made it clear that the party had taken a decision on the post to be given to Achuthanandan and it will be translated into an appropriate decision by the cabinet.

Achutanandan led the LDF to an impressive victory in the May 16 assembly polls by vigorously campaigning for the front.

The left party had decided on Pinarayi Vijayan as the Chief Minister citing Achuthanandan's advanced age and physical limitations.