Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], May 20 : Welcoming the reopening of the North Gate of the Government Secretariat after nearly 10 years, Kerala Secretariat Association President MS Irshad termed the move "historic" and said it restored people's access to the seat of governance.
Expressing happiness over the decision, Irshad said, "We, the Secretariat staff, are very happy to see that this gate has been opened. This had been closed since 2016. The State Govt was in fear of the protesters assembling here and the slogans against the Govt here. So, as an autocratic step, they had this step to close the gate permanently, and access was denied to the public, media, staff and everybody...They were not permitted to enter through this gate. So, this is a historic step, stating that the people have the liberty to go to the rulers of the state."
On the first working day of the UDF government after assuming office in the state, the North Gate of the Government Secretariat was reopened after a decade. The police barricade placed in front of the gate was also shifted to one side.
The previous LDF governments had closed the North Gate, citing security concerns, as members of the public frequently used the entrance to access the Secretariat. The Chief Minister's Office and the grievance redressal cell are located along the route through this gate.
At present, entry through the gate has been permitted only for officials and ministerial vehicles, while the public must continue using the Cantonment Gate.
The Secretariat's North Gate is popularly known as the "Protest Gate" as protests and marches against the government traditionally conclude in front of the entrance.
Meanwhile, the UDF government on Tuesday announced the formation of a special committee to prepare a White Paper on Keralam's financial condition. The committee will be headed by former Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, and Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) K R Jyothilal has been appointed as convener, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said today. Economist Dr Narayanan and Centre for Development Studies (CDS) Director Dr Veeramani are the other members of the committee.