The Kerala High Court on Tuesday admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) accusing the state government of misusing public money and state machinery to conduct a politically motivated survey ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
A division bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M directed the state to file its response by January 21. The PIL has been filed by Kerala Students Union (KSU) state president Aloshious Xavier through advocate Tissy Rose K Cheriyan.
The plea targets the Nava Kerala Citizen Response Program, an extensive door-to-door survey initiated by the government on January 1 and slated to run until February 28. Xavier alleges that the initiative is not a bona fide administrative exercise but a “partisan political campaign” disguised as governance.
The petition specifically alleges that the survey is being carried out by individuals affiliated with the ruling CPI(M), including party cadres and sympathisers recruited as volunteers. According to Xavier, this transforms a government-funded program into a “door-to-door political outreach and manifesto-preparation drive” for the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).
The PIL contends that the survey is not only politically motivated but also redundant. It points out that the state government, through the Kerala State Planning Board, had already completed a comprehensive four-year survey (2021–2025) to identify and address extreme poverty.
“Given that extensive data regarding the socio-economic status of every household has already been verified and digitised, initiating a fresh, massive data collection drive just four months before the government’s tenure ends is devoid of any genuine administrative purpose,” the petition states.
The petitioner has sought the following directions from the court:
- Disclose the detailed plan and financial structure of the proposed Nava Kerala survey.
- Prevent further release of public funds for the program pending adjudication.
- Ensure judicial monitoring of the scheme and state funds used in its implementation.
As an interim measure, the plea has asked the court to stay the survey and freeze any financial allocation related to it until the matter is disposed of.
The court will next hear the matter on January 21, when the government is expected to present its official stand.
