Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar has attacked a top bureaucrat for his remarks on paddy cultivation in Alappuzha district, stating that speaking against the government policies was a gross violation of discipline.
Sunil Kumar of the Communist Party of India (CPI) told media that Additional Chief Secretary PH Kurien should not speak at the expense of the state government.
"This will be brought to the notice of the chief minister as a state government official has to implement the policies of the government. Speaking against the government policies is a serious indiscipline. No official should blabber at the expense of the government," the minister added.
At a meeting recently, Kurien said that it was foolish to waste money by engaging in paddy cultivation in Kuttanadu area.
"For the agriculture minister, increasing paddy cultivation is a vow. Paddy cultivation in Kuttanad is garnering negative returns. This happens even after the government provides subsidy in fertilizer and also for pumping operations. The best bet in Kuttanad would be to concentrate in tourism, fishing or drinking water projects," Kurien had said.
However, the minister pointed out on Saturday that government was planning several projects for the Kuttanad agriculture package.
CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran too said that if the government officials' were to make any remarks against the government, those should be regarded as their personal opinion. “That is not government's opinion,” he added.
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