Former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran CPI(M) leader VS Achuthanandan has announced that he will be stepping down as Chairman of the State Administrative Reforms Commission. In a press statement, the 97-year-old said that he is unable to continue his duties due to health reasons.
"It is not possible for me to convene meetings or to hold discussions, as I am following strict instruction from the doctors following a haemorrhage in the brain. Under these circumstances, I have informed the government that I am resigning from the post as of January 31," the statement said.
VS Achuthanandan assumed charge as the chairman of the commission in August 2016, after the LDF government headed by Pinarayi Vijayan came to power in May that year.
"I have worked as the chairman of the commission and have submitted 11 study reports to the government during this period. For this, I have travelled extensively across the state and interacted with people, and held several seminars and meetings. The reports were formed after a scientific study of the suggestions and opinions compiled from those meetings. Two more reports have been prepared, and will be submitted upon completion of the printing works," Achuthanandan said in the statement.
The CPI(M) leader, who is popular among party sympathisers as well as the general public, held the post of Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011.
In the statement, he also said that the study reports submitted to the State Administrative Reforms Commission were the results of the effort of hundreds of people. "The value of the money spent by the commission is determined by the reports submitted by it, I hope that it would be worth it," the statement concludes.
The 97-year-old is an MLA representing the Malampuzha constituency of Palakkad district. He was last seen at the campaign venue of VK Prasanth during the bye-polls for the Vattiyoorkkav constituency in Thiruvananthapuram in October 2019. He delivered a brief speech for Prasanth, who later won the elections.