The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] is not totally opposed to engaging consultancies for executing projects that demand a specialised support, but the selection should comply with the prescribed norms, State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said.
Briefing reporters about the deliberations at the State secretariat here on Friday, Mr. Balakrishnan said that the party plenum had favoured a blanket ban on consultancies. The party has not given any directive to the government to repeal the service of consultancies, he said.
NIA probe
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) probe into the gold smuggling case would clear the air and there was no harm in the agency probing the Chief Minister’s Office.
The NIA can visit anywhere and neither the party nor the government would impede the inquiry. So far none, including former Principal Secretary M. Sivasankar, has been named as accused. If the agency names the officer guilty it would be his personal issue and would not affect the government.
He accused the United Democratic Front (UDF) of working together with the Bharatiya Janata Party to target the government.
Flays Chennithala
Mr. Chennithala was implementing the desires of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The RSS has chosen him to keep off former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Indian Union Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty from the UDF leadership.
The agitations organised by the UDF in violation of the COVID-19 protocol had sent a message to the public that physical distancing was not imperative.
Mr. Balakrishnan justified the interaction he had with the private secretaries of CPI(M) Ministers on Thursday. He clarified that the meeting was held with party members who are functioning as the personnel staff of the Ministers and such meetings were being held once in six months, he said.
