Kerala Governor vows to end life-long pension for state ministers' personal staff

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan raised the issue of life-long pension of personal staff of cabinet ministers of the Left Democratic Front cabinet terming it a mockery of public money and said that he would make it a national issue.

Talking to reporters on Friday, Khan said "With equal vigour, I will take up the issue where the staff of state ministers become entitled to life-long pension in two years' time. It's a mockery of law and atrocious and public money is squandered. These people are party-cadre, but they end up becoming entitled to lifelong pensions."

He further called the issue highly discriminatory and said that it would be his priority to bring this to end.

"It's highly discriminatory, fraud and deceit being played on people of Kerala. I am going to make it a big national issue. It is a violation of the spirit of the constitution. It will be my priority to bring it to an end. This money belongs to the people of Kerala and not to the cadre," he further said.

Earlier on Tuesday, while talking to reporters in the national capital, Arif Mohammad Khan reacted to the protests by the Left Democratic Front workers towards Raj Bhavan in Kerala, against the Governor's actions pertaining to universities and bills passed by the state assembly, the Governor said that he cannot be pressurised.

"I'm not going to deal with these things. But I can tell you one thing. I think there's enough evidence for you to come to the conclusion that I'm not the type of person who can be pressurised," Kerala Governor said.

He stressed that he would resign if he can be countered with one instance where he interfered in the business of the government.

"Job to run Universities is with Chancellor, to run government is with the elected government. Give me one instance where I tried to interfere in the business of government, I shall resign that very moment. I can give you 1,001 examples where they interfered in the functioning of Universities daily," he said.

Kerala Raj Bhavan on Saturday confirmed that it received the ordinance to remove the Governor from the post of chancellor in various universities.

The Kerala Cabinet on November 9 decided to bring in an ordinance to remove governor Arif Mohammed Khan from the post of chancellor.

The state Cabinet is planning to bring in an expert in place of the chancellor.

The cabinet's decision came after Governor sought the resignations of vice-chancellors of all nine universities in the state.

As per an order issued by the Kerala Governor, Vice-Chancellors of the University of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kannur University, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, University of Calicut and Thunachath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University have been asked to resign from their posts.

Later the VCs of nine universities moved the High Court challenging the Governor's order to tender their resignations.

( With inputs from ANI )