Chief Minister V D Satheesan has directed the Public Works Department (PWD) secretary to immediately cancel an order sanctioning repair work worth more than ₹1 crore at Cliff House, his official residence.

The Chief Minister has also sought an urgent report from the PWD secretary on how the order was issued without informing him or his office.

Satheesan had instructed officials, soon after the government assumed office, not to undertake any unnecessary beautification or construction work at Cliff House. He had made it clear that only essential renovation work should be carried out.

The PWD's explanation is that the latest order was issued as part of a safety audit initiated in 2022. However, the Chief Minister had directed that no work should be undertaken based on estimates prepared during the previous government's tenure and that only essential repairs should be taken up.

The issuance of the order despite these instructions prompted the Chief Minister to seek an explanation from the department and direct the secretary to submit an urgent report.