Kerala Governor requests State govt for ₹85 lakh Mercedes-Benz

After being involved in several fracas with the State Kerala over constitutional propriety, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has raised eyebrows by making a request for a new Mercedes Benz at a cost of ₹85 lakh. The office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has received the file for this.

Citing VVIP travel protocol, The Governor’s office said in the filed documents that any car which has run over 1 lakh km has to be replaced. The Mercedes Benz in use now is over 10 years old, and has already run 1.5 lakh km, it said.

This came just days after the Governor vociferously opposed the personal staff members of Kerala Ministers receiving lifelong pension after serving for just two years. The ruling party was misusing tax payers’ money to give pensions to its cadre members, the Governor had said.

State govt seeks right to control Governors

Meanwhile, amid widening differences between Raj Bhavan and the ruling LDF in Kerala, the State government has made its submission before the Union government-appointed Punhi Commission, saying State legislatures should be empowered to control the Governors who violate constitutional values and principles while exercising their power.

The recommendations, made to the Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi Commission, which is looking into measures to improve Centre-State relations, were approved by the recently met state Cabinet chaired by Vijayan.

The State has proposed to bring an amendment to the Constitution to make it mandatory for the Centre to hold consultation with the States concerned before appointing the Governors.