Plea against sanctioning CMDRF relief of ₹25 lakh to Uzhavoor Vijayan’s family

A petition was filed on Monday before the Kerala High Court seeking to quash a 2017 Cabinet decision to sanction ₹25 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to the family of deceased veteran political leader Uzhavoor Vijayan. According to petitioner Sonnymon K. Mathew from Cherthala, the Cabinet had no legislative power to take such a decision. According to the rules and guidelines, CMDRF could be utilised only for extending relief to the families of victims of fatal accidents, natural calamities, treatment of certain serious diseases and disabilities and for providing free rations to workers during labour issues in establishments. It was also mandatory that those falling below the poverty line alone were entitled to financial assistance from the CMDRF. The petitioner said that steps should be taken to recover the entire amount already released from those who are responsible for these types of corruption and malpractice and to disqualify them from their respective posts.