Answer, speaker tells ministers in Kerala Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan on Wednesday chastised the LDF government for not providing answers to questions raised by legislators in the Assembly. “At a time when we are in possession of the latest communication technology, no excuse whatsoever will suffice for not replying to the questions submitted by legislators at least 10 days in advance,” the Speaker said in his ruling on Wednesday.

He said that a probe conducted by his office had corroborated the opposition leader’s charge that questions, mostly unstarred ones for which answers are provided in written format, are virtually going unanswered. The Speaker said that despite the repeated complaints 240 questions still remain to be answered. “All of them should be answered before May 25, the last day of the 5th session,” the Speaker ruled.

It was on May 10 that opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala wrote to the Speaker saying that all of the 333 unstarred questions, except 19, supposed to be answered on the day were left blank. Of this, 113 questions related to the Home Department under the Chief Minister. “When the issue was examined it has been found that the complaint was true. Some of the answers were provided the next day. Still it is unfortunate that 244 questions remain to be answered,” the Speaker said. He, however, did not single out the incumbent government for chastisement. He hinted that former governments were equally culpable.

The Speaker said that despite the rulings given by his predecessors there was no qualitative change in the matter of furnishing answers. “Also the fact that more complaints are continuing to be raised is making the Chair uncomfortable,” the Speaker said in his ruling.