Can ministers accept favours, foreign invites from private individuals? Country's official moral codes say no

On September 23, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said there was nothing wrong with ministers accepting the patronage of rich friends. It is the norm, he suggested.

"All chief ministers in the country travel not just in official aircrafts but also in private-owned planes. Kerala's former Chief Minister and the Chief Minister before that had travelled like this. And I will continue to travel this way," the Chief Minister said. 

He was also amused by the widespread disapproval of ministers travelling abroad. "I myself told them to go. Let them travel the word, see what is happening everywhere, and return. These travels do not cost the state exchequer," the CM said. He said it was alright for ministers to be hosted by Malayali organisations and even private individuals in foreign countries like the Gulf.

It is as if favours are to be encouraged as long as they reduce the strain on the state's finances. Satheesan's shocking ignorance of the ethical instructions embedded in the political executive mechanism is revealed by two official documents: The Code of Conduct for Ministers (Ministry of Home Affairs) and Guidelines Regarding Foreign Travel of Ministers (Ministry of Finance).

Here is what Clause 4.1 of the Code of Conduct says: "A Minister should not accept valuable gifts except from close relatives, and he or members of his family should not accept any gifts at all from any person with whom he may have official dealings." When the Chief Minister flew cost-free in a chartered flight offered to him "by an acquaintance", was he certain that he would not have any official dealings with this "acquaintance" in future?

Even when a gift is received, it cannot go straight to the minister's house. There is a system by which this gift is eventually given a home. Clause 4.2 of the Code of Conduct says that gifts should be "referred to the Toshakhana (Persian for storehouse) for valuation". If its value is less than ₹5,000, it can be retained by the Minister. If it exceeds this amount, the recipient will have the option to purchase it from the 'Toshakhana' by paying the difference between the assessed value and ₹5000. Or else it stays at the 'Toshakhana'. 

The Code demands simplicity. Clause 5 (1) says that while on official tour, a minister should as far as practicable stay in accommodation "belonging to himself or maintained by the government, government undertakings, public bodies or institutions (such as circuit houses, dak bungalows etc.) or in recognised hotels". Clause 5(2) says: "A minister should avoid attending, as far as possible, ostentatious or lavish parties given in his honour."

Satheesan suffers from no moral confusion about ministers accepting invites from organisations abroad. But the Ministry of Finance guidelines lay down a clear value system. "Visits abroad on an invitation from a private source/organisations would not be encouraged/approved," it says. 

"Invitations should have been received either from a foreign Government or from an international body (like UN and its specialised agencies, recognised international organisations regional groups or any other such body with the approval of the Ministry of External Affairs, etc.)," it says. These invitations should also be received through the Ministry of External Affairs. 

Interestingly, these guidelines were freshly issued by the previous LDF government in 2023.