Oommen Chandy
Encyclopedia
Oommen Chandy (born 31 October 1943 in Puthuppally, Travancore
, Indian Empire) is an India
n politician
and the current Chief Minister of Kerala
. He has held the Chief Minister of Kerala
position earlier from 2004 to 2006, and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly
from 2006 to 2011.
Chandy or 'Kunjoonju' was born to K.O. Chandy and Baby Chandy. Born in an upper class affluent Orthodox Syrian Christian family at Puthuppally,kottayam district, Kerala, Chandy ventured into the political arena as an activist of Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the party. He was the unit president of KSU at St George High School, Puthupally, and went on to become the State President of the organization. Chandy completed his college education from CMS College, Kottayam, SB College, Changanassery. Later, he took a bachelors degree in law
(LLB) from Government Law College, Ernakulam
. He is also a trade unionist and heads several INTUC affiliated outfits.
(KSU), which he served as president from 1967 to 1969. He was elected as the president of the State Youth Congress in 1970. He is the 21st chief minster of Kerala at present.
He has represented Puthuppally
Constituency for decades, having been elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly
in 1970, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. During his long legislative career he had also served as the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee during 1996-98.
{| class="wikitable" id="toc" : left; margin-left: 2em; width: 40%; font-size: 90%;"
|-
! No. !! Head of the Ministry !! Period !! Portfolio
|-
| 1 || K. Karunakaran || 11/04/1977 - 25.04/1977 || Labour
|-
| 2 || A. K. Antony
|| 27/04/1977 - 27/10/1978 || Labour
|-
| 3 || K. Karunakaran || 28/12/1981 - 17/03/1982 || Home
|-
| 4 || K. Karunakaran || 02/07/1991 - 22/06/1994 || Finance
|-
| 5 || Oommen Chandy
|| 31/08/2004 - 18/05/2006 || Chief Minister
|-
| 6 || Oommen Chandy
|| 17/05/2011 - till Date || Chief Minister
|}
. In what may be seen as a reflection of his work as Chief Minister, the Congress-led alliance was defeated, but managed to retain 40 out of 140 seats in the assembly and boost its vote-share by nearly 10% after the general election rout. He resigned as Chief Minister on May 12, 2006 following the defeat of his party in 2006 Assembly Elections
.
He gave up Vigilance Portfolio in early August 2011, after a fresh probe was ordered on the Palm Oil case (which happened when he was Finance Minister in 1992).
The government would provide water supply, electricity, and road connectivity to a common point in each of the plots earmarked for resettlement of the evictees who had lost their homes. The area would be demarcated in such a way that costal zone regulations would not come in the way of constructing two-storied buildings with sufficient built-up area. A sum of Rs.75,000 would be given to each family for piling as the land given was marshy.
The government would continue to provide rent at Rs.5,000 a month to the evictees up to six months after the establishment of the infrastructure facilities promised by the government. The arrears in rent for the past 27 months would also be paid to them.
State government would take up with the Cochin Port Trust the issue of providing jobs to a member of each of the evicted families at the Vallarpadam project.
Cases to be withdrawn
The government would withdraw all cases against the evictees and those who assisted them in their agitation excluding those involving violence and destruction of property. The Revenue Department would write to the Centre seeking exemption of compensation paid to the evictees from income tax on capital gains. Conditions on titles given under the rehabilitation package would be relaxed to enable the evictees pledge the land to banks for availing loans.
It was also decided at the conference that 12 families who had been denied allotment of land under the rehabilitation package would be given titles. They would be given all the benefits under the package upon their forfeiting compensation paid under the Land Acquisition Act and withdrawal of cases filed by them against the government. Two of the evictees, Joy John and John Joseph, who lost their livelihood would be given assistance to start a trade.
A monitoring committee headed by the District Collector would oversee implementation of the agreement and bring issues, if any, to the notice of the government.
As many as 176 victims who had been given Rs 50,000 earlier were given an additional Rs 50,000 on Monday. The remaining families in the list of 486 victims were distributed Rs 1 lakh each.
occurred during the year 1991-92 in the Kerala
state when K. Karunakaran was the chief minister of the state and the ruling party was United Democratic Front
. During this time Oommen Chandy was the Finance Minister of the state and was responsible for financial accounts of the state of Kerala
. This scam allegedly caused a loss of Rs 2.32 crore to the state. The case once closed after the death of K. Karunakaran in December 2010 was reopened in March 2011 during the election period of 2011. However this did not affect the election results to a great extent.
The court stated that Oommen Chandy had approved of the import of palmolein through "Power and Energy Ltd" by paying 15% service charge and it was evident from his signature in the note.. However the court has not been able to show any direct involvement of Oommen Chandy in the scam . Aiding to the investigation of the case in 2011, when the case was reopen, Oommen Chandy, the then Chief Minister had agreed to step down from the Office of Chief Minister of Kerala in 2011, and face the case "legally and morally". But on the advice on Congress core committee, Oommen Chandy continues to stay incumbent.
The vigilance court asked the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau to submit its investigation report of the palmolein case by November 10, 2011.
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, Indian Empire) is an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the current Chief Minister of Kerala
Chief Minister of Kerala
The Chief Minister of Kerala is the elected head of government of the state of Kerala, India. By the Constitution of India, the Chief minister is appointed by the Governor of the state....
. He has held the Chief Minister of Kerala
Chief Minister of Kerala
The Chief Minister of Kerala is the elected head of government of the state of Kerala, India. By the Constitution of India, the Chief minister is appointed by the Governor of the state....
position earlier from 2004 to 2006, and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly
Kerala Legislative Assembly
The Kerala Legislative Assembly more popularly known as Niyamasabha , is the law making body of Kerala, one of the 28 States in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives and one nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community...
from 2006 to 2011.
Early life
OommenOommen
Oommen is a name used by Syrian Christians of India, especially in Kerala, the Southwestern state of India.The name Oommen is a local variant of the Syriac name 'Thoma' . Mar Thoma , the Apostle of Christ established the Christian Church in India. The Eastern Church followed Syriac liturgical...
Chandy or 'Kunjoonju' was born to K.O. Chandy and Baby Chandy. Born in an upper class affluent Orthodox Syrian Christian family at Puthuppally,kottayam district, Kerala, Chandy ventured into the political arena as an activist of Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the party. He was the unit president of KSU at St George High School, Puthupally, and went on to become the State President of the organization. Chandy completed his college education from CMS College, Kottayam, SB College, Changanassery. Later, he took a bachelors degree in law
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(LLB) from Government Law College, Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
. He is also a trade unionist and heads several INTUC affiliated outfits.
Political life
Chandy started his political career through the Kerala Students UnionKerala Students Union
Kerala Students Union is the Kerala branch of the National Students Union of India, the student wing of the Indian National Congress. KSU was founded on May 30, 1957 in Alappuzha.-About KSU:...
(KSU), which he served as president from 1967 to 1969. He was elected as the president of the State Youth Congress in 1970. He is the 21st chief minster of Kerala at present.
He has represented Puthuppally
Puthuppally
Puthuppally Puthupally is situated 8 km south of Kottayam town encircled by rivers, paddy fields and hills having a 30000 + population of various cast and creeds...
Constituency for decades, having been elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly
Kerala Legislative Assembly
The Kerala Legislative Assembly more popularly known as Niyamasabha , is the law making body of Kerala, one of the 28 States in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives and one nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community...
in 1970, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. During his long legislative career he had also served as the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee during 1996-98.
| Election Victories | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Closest rival | Majority (votes) |
| 1970 | E.M.George (CPM Communist Party of India (Marxist) The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of... ) |
7,288 |
| 1977 | P.C.Cherian (BLD Bharatiya Lok Dal Bharatiya Lok Dal was a political party in India. The BLD was formed at the end of 1974 through the fusion of seven parties opposed to the autocratic rule of Indira Gandhi, including the Swatantra Party, the Utkal Congress, the Bharatiya Kranti Dal, and the Socialist Party... ) |
15,910 |
| 1980 | M.R.G.Panicker (NDP National Loktantrik Party National Loktantrik Party has been merged in Samajwadi Party on 15 March 2010 when its leader Dr Masood Ahmad joined the Samajwadi in the presence of Shri Mulayam Singh national president of the party.... ) |
13,659 |
| 1982 | Thomas Rajan (ICS) | 15,983 |
| 1987 | V.N.Vasavan (CPM) | 9,164 |
| 1991 | V.N.Vasavan (CPM) | 13,811 |
| 1996 | Reji Zacharia (CPM) | 10,155 |
| 2001 | Cherian Philip Cherian Philip Cherian Philip is a leading politician of Kerala, India and is currently Chairman of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation . He was the President of Deshiyavedi Organisation. He was the Secretary of KPCC while A. K... (CPM Ind.) |
12,575 |
| 2006 | Sindu Joy (CPM) | 19,863 |
| 2011 | Suja Susan George (CPM) | 33,255 |
Minister
Chandy sworn as a minister in Kerala for four times. He was the Minister for Labour from 11.04.1977 to 25.04.1977 in the first K. Karunakaran Ministry and continued holding the same portfolio in the succeeding first A.K. Antony Ministry till 27.10.1978. He was in the charge of Home portfolio in the second K. Karunakaran Ministry from 28.12.1981 to 17.03.1982. Again, he was sworn in as a minister in the fourth K.Karunakaran Ministry on July 02, 1991. He was in charge of Finance Portfolio and resigned from the cabinet on 22.06.1994 due to difference with the Chief Minister.{| class="wikitable" id="toc" : left; margin-left: 2em; width: 40%; font-size: 90%;"
Minister in different ministries
{| class="wikitable"|-
! No. !! Head of the Ministry !! Period !! Portfolio
|-
| 1 || K. Karunakaran || 11/04/1977 - 25.04/1977 || Labour
|-
| 2 || A. K. Antony
A. K. Antony
Arackaparambil Kurien Antony is an Indian National Congress politician, a former Chief Minister of Kerala, and the current Defence Minister of India....
|| 27/04/1977 - 27/10/1978 || Labour
|-
| 3 || K. Karunakaran || 28/12/1981 - 17/03/1982 || Home
|-
| 4 || K. Karunakaran || 02/07/1991 - 22/06/1994 || Finance
|-
| 5 || Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy is an Indian politician and the current Chief Minister of Kerala. He has held the Chief Minister of Kerala position earlier from 2004 to 2006, and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2011.-Early life:Oommen Chandy or 'Kunjoonju' was born...
|| 31/08/2004 - 18/05/2006 || Chief Minister
|-
| 6 || Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy is an Indian politician and the current Chief Minister of Kerala. He has held the Chief Minister of Kerala position earlier from 2004 to 2006, and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2011.-Early life:Oommen Chandy or 'Kunjoonju' was born...
|| 17/05/2011 - till Date || Chief Minister
|}
Chief Minister 2004-2006
The results of the parliamentary elections in May 2004 saw the Indian National Congress not winning a single seat in Kerala. The sitting Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, was forced to resign and accept responsibility for the poor results. On 30 August 2004, Oommen was elected the Congress Legislature Party leader at the end of a meeting by AICC observers and clearance by the Congress president, Sonia GandhiSonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
. In what may be seen as a reflection of his work as Chief Minister, the Congress-led alliance was defeated, but managed to retain 40 out of 140 seats in the assembly and boost its vote-share by nearly 10% after the general election rout. He resigned as Chief Minister on May 12, 2006 following the defeat of his party in 2006 Assembly Elections
Kerala state assembly election, 2006
The Kerala state assembly election of 2006, part of a series of state assembly elections in 2006, was scheduled to occur in three phases. The first phase was held on April 22, 2006, when 59 out of the 140 constituencies in Kerala voted. The second was held on April 29, 2006 for the 66...
.
Leader of Opposition
Oommen Chandy was the leader of opposition in the twelfth Kerala Legislative Assembly. Under his leadership UDF marked victories in Lok Sabha Election 2009 and Local Body Election 2010. In the history of Kerala politics it's first time that UDF got an upper hand in local body elections.Leader of Congress Parliamentary Party
After winning the closely contested 2011 assembly election, Congress legislative party unanimously elected Oommen Chandy as its leader. At the Congress Legislature Party meeting, Mr. Chandy's name was proposed by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala and seconded by Aryadan Mohammed. The election process was formally launched after Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Mohsina Kidwai and AICC general secretary Madhusoodan Mistry, who is in charge of Kerala, held a one-to-one meeting in their capacity as observers with the 38 elected MLAs.Second term as Chief Minister (from 2011 onwards)
UDF (United Democratic Front) led by Oommen Chandy secured a slender margin in assembly election which held on 13 April, 2011. UDF candidates won in 72 seats against 68 seats of LDF (Left Democratic Front). He took the oath on 18-05-2011 with six other ministers of his cabinet. Later thirteen other ministers were also inducted into his cabinet.He gave up Vigilance Portfolio in early August 2011, after a fresh probe was ordered on the Palm Oil case (which happened when he was Finance Minister in 1992).
Rehabilitation of Moolampilly Victims
The government and representatives of people evicted from Moolampilly for the Vallarpadam Tranship Container Terminal Project in Kochi reached an agreement settling outstanding issues regarding the rehabilitation.The government would provide water supply, electricity, and road connectivity to a common point in each of the plots earmarked for resettlement of the evictees who had lost their homes. The area would be demarcated in such a way that costal zone regulations would not come in the way of constructing two-storied buildings with sufficient built-up area. A sum of Rs.75,000 would be given to each family for piling as the land given was marshy.
The government would continue to provide rent at Rs.5,000 a month to the evictees up to six months after the establishment of the infrastructure facilities promised by the government. The arrears in rent for the past 27 months would also be paid to them.
State government would take up with the Cochin Port Trust the issue of providing jobs to a member of each of the evicted families at the Vallarpadam project.
Cases to be withdrawn
The government would withdraw all cases against the evictees and those who assisted them in their agitation excluding those involving violence and destruction of property. The Revenue Department would write to the Centre seeking exemption of compensation paid to the evictees from income tax on capital gains. Conditions on titles given under the rehabilitation package would be relaxed to enable the evictees pledge the land to banks for availing loans.
It was also decided at the conference that 12 families who had been denied allotment of land under the rehabilitation package would be given titles. They would be given all the benefits under the package upon their forfeiting compensation paid under the Land Acquisition Act and withdrawal of cases filed by them against the government. Two of the evictees, Joy John and John Joseph, who lost their livelihood would be given assistance to start a trade.
A monitoring committee headed by the District Collector would oversee implementation of the agreement and bring issues, if any, to the notice of the government.
Aid for endosulfan victims
The UDF Government had increased the aid from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.As many as 176 victims who had been given Rs 50,000 earlier were given an additional Rs 50,000 on Monday. The remaining families in the list of 486 victims were distributed Rs 1 lakh each.
Enforcing transparency
In an attempt to enforce transparency 24x7 live webcast streaming of Chief ministers office and meeting chamber started on 1st July 2011. This is streamed on the official website of the Chief Minister of Kerala.Palmolein Oil Import Scam
The Palmolein Oil Import ScamPalmolein Oil Import Scam
The Palmolein Oil Import Scam occurred during the year 1991-92 in the Kerala state. K. Karunakaran was the chief minister of the state and the ruling party was United Democratic Front. This was his fourth term as chief minister of the state. Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas was the...
occurred during the year 1991-92 in the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state when K. Karunakaran was the chief minister of the state and the ruling party was United Democratic Front
United Democratic Front (India)
United Democratic Front is an alliance of political parties of Kerala state in India. This alliance is led by the Indian National Congress....
. During this time Oommen Chandy was the Finance Minister of the state and was responsible for financial accounts of the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. This scam allegedly caused a loss of Rs 2.32 crore to the state. The case once closed after the death of K. Karunakaran in December 2010 was reopened in March 2011 during the election period of 2011. However this did not affect the election results to a great extent.
The court stated that Oommen Chandy had approved of the import of palmolein through "Power and Energy Ltd" by paying 15% service charge and it was evident from his signature in the note.. However the court has not been able to show any direct involvement of Oommen Chandy in the scam . Aiding to the investigation of the case in 2011, when the case was reopen, Oommen Chandy, the then Chief Minister had agreed to step down from the Office of Chief Minister of Kerala in 2011, and face the case "legally and morally". But on the advice on Congress core committee, Oommen Chandy continues to stay incumbent.
The vigilance court asked the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau to submit its investigation report of the palmolein case by November 10, 2011.
See also
- Chief Ministers of Kerala
- Kerala Ministers
- Palmolein Oil Import ScamPalmolein Oil Import ScamThe Palmolein Oil Import Scam occurred during the year 1991-92 in the Kerala state. K. Karunakaran was the chief minister of the state and the ruling party was United Democratic Front. This was his fourth term as chief minister of the state. Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas was the...