Kerala High Court Quashes Government's Fund Allocation for Controversial Programme

The Kerala High Court has annulled a government order that sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the Nava Kerala Citizen Response Programme. The move was deemed a 'colourable exercise of executive power' and violated fiscal regulations

Concerns were raised over discrepancies in budget allocations, particularly as the programme was linked to the ruling CPI(M) party's activities. The court observed that the programme was launched without adequate legislative review and just before Assembly elections.

Allegations of misuse of public funds for political advantage have emerged, as party volunteers were allegedly informed before an official announcement. The court's decision comes as a setback for the government, which had argued that the programme was aimed at gathering public feedback on state development initiatives.