Vaastu trouble for Kerala home minister

Faces flak following revelations that he spent a huge sum to renovate his official residence

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The home woes of Kerala home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan do not seem to end. The CPI(M) minister, who moved out of his official residence to prove a point in austerity, is now accused by his detractors of staying in a party-owned flat. Leaders of the Congress and the BJP say they would not want to go to the CPI(M) headquarters him.

Balakrishna was accused of spending lavishly to modify his official residence, the Manmohan Bungalow. He got an additional gate built, which was seen as an adjustment to suit the requirements of Vaastu. Then Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan revealed the price tag for modification of his ministers’ bungalows in the assembly.

Manmohan Bungalow, where Balakrishnan lived, and Xanadu, where Food minister C Divakaran lived, topped the list.

The two communist ministers had caused the exchequer Rs17 lakh and Rs11 lakh respectively by way of modifying their official houses. Though they claimed they were ignorant of the spending, media soon equated them with former chief minister K Karunakaran and former finance minister Vakkom Purushotthaman, who had notoriously lavished on their abodes.

The modification of ministers’ bungalows is now being probed by the vigilance wing of the public works department. The report, when publicised, could add to the embarrassment of the Left Democratic Front government.

Curiously, opposition leader Oommen Chandy, who led the offensive against the government, was at pains explaining his innocence in spending Rs5.75 lakh on modifying Cantonment House, his official residence. The drama continued even after the ministers moved out of their official residences.

Divakaran shifted to his own house in Thiruvananthapuram while Balakrishnan went to a flat, a CPI(M) asset adjacent to AKG Centre, its state headquarters.

Both the ministers faced criticism in their respective parties for their ‘uncommunist’ lifestyle. Despite severe criticism in the CPI state executive, the shift provided Divakaran a respite. But Balakrishnan is still on a home hunt.

A section of political leaders has questioned the inappropriateness of the home minister staying in a party-owned flat near the party citadel.

The opposition didn’t bat an eyelid before accusing him of introducing (party) cell rule in Kerala. Now it was easy for the CPI(M) to rein in the home ministry, they alleged.