Congress legislator V.D. Satheeshan has filed a breach of privilege notice against KSEB chairman N.S. Pillai for speaking out of turn and replying to the allegations raised by Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala regarding corruption and irregularities in the award of tenders for two major transmission lines of the power utility.
Mr. Satheeshan, in his privilege notice to Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan invoking rule 154 of the rules of procedures of the Assembly, said that usually the Chief Minister or the Minister concerned replied to any allegation or references that Leader of the Opposition made against the government or a department. Such rebuttals were never taken up at the official level. The Leader of the Opposition had made categorical statements about the irregularities on the basis of documentary evidence. The rebuttal by a government functionary amounted to breach of privilege, he said.
He reminded the Speaker a similar procedure that was adopted when a government secretary issued a rebuttal when the Leader of the Opposition brought out corruption charges in the sanction of distilleries and breweries. The Speaker had accepted the privilege notice on the basis of which the Excise Secretary was asked to give an explanation, he said.
Mr. Satheeshan said the irresponsible statements of the KSEB chairman amounted to an insult to the Leader of the Opposition’s position and intended to deride him in public domain. The chairman and the KSEB had made motivated attempts to breach the privileges that Mr. Chennithala enjoyed in his capacity as Opposition Leader.
