CM calls Punarjani 'model' project, says it inspired Budget's One Kerala Mission

On a day when the LDF organised a protest meeting in Paravur against the government move to close the Punarjani case against him, Chief Minister V D Satheesan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that no measures were taken in the case after the UDF government came to power.

Satheesan called Punarjani a "model" rehabilitation scheme and said it was the inspiration behind the One Kerala Karuthal Mission he had announced in his first budget.

"All findings (related to Punarjani's operations) were deduced during the time of the last government," Satheesan said during his customary post-Cabinet briefing. The Chief Minister came prepared to speak at length about the history of the Punarjani case.

"It was in 2020 that an allegation was raised about this in the Assembly. I told the then Chief Minister to please conduct a Vigilance probe. A Vigilance probe was soon initiated," the CM said and added with pride: "It was I who asked for a Vigilance probe in the Assembly."

After a preliminary enquiry, the Vigilance submitted a report saying that no irregularities had taken place. The government accepted the report. "After this, an individual filed a complaint against the project before the High Court single bench. The single bench rejected the petition. An appeal was filed before a division bench. That too was rejected. It was after these events that I became the Opposition Leader," Satheesan said.

He said that in 2023 the government accepted another complaint and the Vigilance resumed investigation on June 14, 2023. He excerpted from the Vigilance report submitted on December 7, 2024. "Enquiry could not discover any evidence to sustain the allegation. The enquiry so far could not reveal any evidence and also the allegations could not sustain in evidence," the CM quoted verbatim from the Vigilance report. He added: "This was not a report that was submitted after I became the Chief Minister."

In fact, two vigilance directors had given reports on Punarjani case. "The first director gave me a clean chit under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was clear that I had not done anything wrong under the PC Act," the CM said.

Since there was a political decision to persist with the case, Satheesan said the LDF government wanted a probe to see whether he had violated the provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. "The second Vigilance director also could not find any violation whatsoever," he said.

It was after this, while the Congress's leadership camp was being held in Wayanad in January this year, that there were reports that the LDF government was planning to hand over the case to the CBI. Satheesan's response then had gone viral. "Tell the Chief Minister that I am shivering with fear," Satheesan had then said with mock fear.

He said a CBI was not proceeded with because the LDF government had received legal advice that sanction would not be accorded as even the Vigilance could not find anything to register a case. The CM said that the LDF government did not shut the case even after receiving all these inputs.

And then on May 26 this year, the Vigilance director said: "As stated earlier, there is no vigilance angle revealed in the case and so no action is due from this Department in this regard. Hence, further action in their regard may be dropped."

The CM said that even the investigating officers had lauded the Punarjani project. He said it was a "model project" as the sponsors transferred funds directly to the beneficiaries. "When there is a sponsor willing to construct a house, we direct them to the beneficiary. They can either construct the house, or they can pay the amount in stages to a contractor chosen from a list we have drawn up," the CM said.

Satheesan said Punarjani was the first project done by an MLA in Kerala by adopting the management techniques of international agencies doing exemplary relief work. "I am extremely proud of what I had done," he said.

He said the One Kerala Karuthal Mission, for supporting those with terminal illness and their families, was based on the Punarjani model. Under this, he said the government would create a corpus by bringing together charity organisations working in various fields and using their experience.

In his first Budget Speech, Satheesan said: "This Mission will operate on the uncompromisingly transparent principle that every single rupee received as donations from non-governmental organisations, CSR funds, and contributions from institutions and individuals must reach the deserving recipients without diversion."

He said this was drawn from the Punarjani model. "As part of One Kerala Mission, if a donor provides Rs 1000, the entire amount would be passed on to the beneficiary. This was the same model we followed under Punarjani. The operational expenditure related to the project will be met in other ways by the government. Like in Punarjani, for which I had arranged a separate fund for allied expenses," the CM said.

He said the beneficiaries for the Punarjani project were selected on the basis of a survey conducted by the students and teachers of XIME, Kochi.