The Kerala High Court has set aside the State government’s order approving Rs 20 crore for the Nava Kerala Citizen Response Programme. The Court ruled that public funds cannot be used in violation of official rules or for alleged political purposes.
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday ruled that public money cannot be used for the Nava Kerala Citizen Response Programme and cancelled the government order which had approved ₹20 crore for the scheme.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. said that the way the decision was taken and funds were released did not follow the proper rules of government functioning. The Court observed that the spending for this programme was against the Rules of Business that regulate how official decisions must be made.
The judgment came while the Court was hearing two petitions challenging the programme. One of the pleas was filed by Kerala Students Union (KSU) state president Aloshious Xavier. The petitioners had asked the Court to cancel the government order launching the programme and to stop the State from allegedly
“misusing public funds for personal and political gain of the ruling party or front”.
According to the petitions, the Nava Kerala Citizen Response Programme was not a genuine government welfare initiative but was actually a political campaign of the ruling party or political front.
The petitioners argued that the programme was being projected as an official government activity even though its real purpose was political.
They further claimed that the programme was introduced mainly to strengthen the political interests of the ruling front before the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. It was argued that such use of government machinery and funds for political advantage was unconstitutional and against democratic principles.
After hearing both sides, the High Court concluded that the allocation of Rs 20 crore for the programme could not be legally justified. The Bench found that the decision to spend public money on this initiative did not comply with the established procedures under the Rules of Business.
By setting aside the order authorising funds, the Court made it clear that public money must be used strictly for lawful governmental purposes and not for activities that appear to benefit any political party. The ruling is likely to have significant political and legal implications in Kerala, especially ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
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