The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday, 8 July resolved to transfer the Public Service Commission (PSC) recruitment controversy to the Crime Branch, widening the investigation beyond recently surfaced evaluation lapses to encompass a broader set of appointments now under suspicion — including those to the Kerala Administrative Service (KAS), the State Planning Board, and several other recruitment drives. The decision signals a significant escalation in the state government's response to the unfolding PSC irregularities row.

Scope of the Crime Branch Probe

Announcing the Cabinet's decision after the weekly meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said the investigation would examine the entire chain of events leading to the alleged irregularities and determine whether the recruitment process had been manipulated at any stage. The probe will also scrutinise what he described as a lack of transparency surrounding the interview process — a concern that critics say has long plagued PSC proceedings.

The move to involve the Crime Branch, rather than limiting the inquiry to departmental mechanisms, suggests the government is treating this as a potential criminal matter rather than an administrative lapse. This is the most expansive institutional response to the PSC controversy since it came to light.

Wayanad Landslide: Fresh Concerns

The Cabinet also took stock of the Wayanad landslide tragedy, with CM Satheesan disclosing that a fresh landslip had occurred above the already-affected area, compounding existing concerns about the region's stability. He said the government would undertake a comprehensive techno-legal scrutiny into the circumstances that led to the disaster.

This review will include an examination of whether the conditions and guidelines attached to the environmental clearance granted by the Centre for activities in the area had been properly followed. The announcement raises pointed questions about compliance oversight in ecologically sensitive zones.

100-Day Programme and Transparency Measures

The Cabinet reviewed the government's proposed 100-day action programme and decided to establish a Programme Coordination Office within the Chief Minister's Office to monitor its implementation. CM Satheesan said progress updates would be made publicly accessible through an Open Court digital platform, aimed at ensuring transparency and public accountability.

CM Defends Portfolio Retention

Responding to criticism from Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) leaders over his decision to retain the Finance, Ports, and Law portfolios, CM Satheesan rejected the charge that he had concentrated key departments in his own hands. He drew a pointed comparison with his predecessor, former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who, he said, had held as many as 29 portfolios — including the Information Technology department, which he argued should ordinarily have rested with the Industries Minister.

'Did he retain the IT portfolio to facilitate corruption?' Satheesan asked, in an apparent riposte to the Left leaders' criticism. He added that he had, in fact, been reluctant to retain the Finance portfolio and had done so only at the insistence of Cabinet colleagues. 'I was the least interested in retaining Finance. It was only at the insistence of my colleagues that I accepted the responsibility,' he said. He stated that the Ports portfolio was a deliberate choice, given that port development has been a long-standing policy priority for him.