The committee had summoned him in connection with the alleged leakage of CAG report on Kerala Infrastructure and Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
Kerala’s Finance Minister Thomas Isaac appeared before the assembly privilege and ethics committee on Tuesday. The committee had summoned him in connection with the alleged leakage of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Kerala Infrastructure and Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Talking to reporters after appearing before the committee, Minister Thomas said that he did not commit any breach of privilege. Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman and Congress MLA VD Satheeshan had moved a notice against Isaac after he allegedly divulged the contents of the CAG's audit 2018-19 report at a press meet even before it was tabled in the house. It was on November 14 that the Minister slammed the CAG report on the state’s finances at a press meet, claiming that it called the KIIFB borrowing model unconstitutional. KIIFB is the state-owned financial institution for financing large and critical infrastructure projects in Kerala and the Finance Minister is the Vice-Chairman of the body. It was following this, opposition came out against the Minister for publicising the report before placing it in the Assembly. In a first in the state's history, Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan had forwarded the notice against the Minister to the privileges and ethics committee. MLA Satheeshan had moved a notice, under Section 159 of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, Rules of Procedure and conduct of Business against the Minister for making public the details of the draft CAG report before it was tabled in the Assembly. While forwarding the complaint to the committee, the Speaker had said that certain important issues had been mentioned in the complaint of the Opposition MLA while serious matters had been pointed out by the Minister in his reply and both need to be addressed by the committee. "Since the formation of the state, this is probably the first time, such an issue has come up. The Minister has pointed out that this was not just a matter of breach of privilege of the Assembly but there are certain unprecedented situations with regard to the CAG report. So let the committee take a decision in a democratic manner after hearing both the sides," the Speaker had said. Thomas Isaac had earlier appeared before the speaker to explain his stand. Also read: Explainer: The CAG report on KIIFB and the row involving Thomas Isaac
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