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Engineer suspended over faulty lock in Kerala CM’s guest house room
An assistant engineer of the public works department has been suspended for failing to repair a lock on the door of the room in a government guest house in Ernakulam
An assistant engineer of the public works department has been suspended for failing to repair a lock on the door of the room in a government guest house in Ernakulam district where Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan stayed.
The engineer was suspended on Friday.
The CM stayed at the Aluva guest house from December 30 to January 1. On the first day, while retiring for the day he tried to bolt the room from inside but could not. Officials accompanying the CM also tried to correct the lock but failed.
The next day the CM’s secretary informed the guest house manager and others about the lock. Official sources said carpenters were immediately summoned to repair the door of room No 107.
However, when the CM tried to lock his room the bolt again turned tricky. The upset CM reportedly said if this was the plight of a person like him one can imagine the condition of ordinary people.
An inquiry later found that though the door was repaired the assistant engineer allegedly failed to supervise it lock, stock and barrel.
When his arch-rival VS Achuthanandan, the former CM, used to occupy room No 107 he never locked it from inside. The guest house was Achuthanandan’s favourite getaway and he took many decisions while living here.
Achuthanandan’s followers have questioned whether a CM, the most protected person in the state, really needs a lock.
Last heard, all doors of the Aluva guest house have been either replaced or repaired.
