How to track Kerala government performance and hold MLAs accountable

The Hook

You are sitting at a chayakada in Thrissur or scrolling through X in Kochi, and the headline hits: "Left may be left with no government in India for the first time in 50 years." Whether you are a die-hard "Comrade" or someone waiting for a change, the political identity of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram is only half the story. The real question is: once the posters come down and the slogans fade, how do you make sure the people you elected actually deliver on their promises? If you are tired of waiting for the next election cycle to see progress, it is time to stop being a spectator and start using the tools that keep the government on its toes.

What the law actually says

In India, the state government's power flows from the Constitution. Under Article 163, there is a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor. However, Article 164(2) is where your power lies: it states that the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly (the Niyamasabha). This means they owe an explanation for every paisa spent and every policy failed.

While political manifestos are not "legally binding contracts" in the sense that you cannot sue a party for a broken promise (as per the Supreme Court in S. Subramaniam Balaji vs State of Tamil Nadu, 2013), the court noted that manifestos are a crucial part of the democratic process. To bridge the gap between promises and reality, you have the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. Under Section 4 of this Act, every public authority in Kerala is required to proactively disclose information about its functioning, so you do not even have to ask for it—it should be public.

Furthermore, every MLA in Kerala is allotted funds under the MLA Local Area Development Scheme (MLALADS). Currently, this is ₹5 crore per year per constituency. These funds are meant for small-scale infrastructure like drinking water, public health, and education. The guidelines for these funds are issued by the Planning and Economic Affairs Department, and as a resident, you have the right to know exactly where that ₹5 crore is going. If you see a broken bridge or a school without desks, you are looking at a potential failure in the use of these constitutional and statutory provisions.

File an RTI online to ask for the breakdown of these funds if they aren't listed on your district portal.

Step-by-step playbook

1. Audit the Manifesto

Before you complain, you need a benchmark. Download the election manifesto of the winning party from their official website or the Election Commission of India archives.

• What to do: Create a simple spreadsheet. List the top 5 promises for your district (e.g., "New IT park in Kozhikode" or "Waste management plant in Alappuzha").
• What to look for: Specificity. Did they promise a "better Kerala" (vague) or "1 lakh houses under the LIFE Mission" (trackable)?
• Timeline: Do this once every year to see the progress.

2. Track the Niyamasabha (Legislative Assembly)

Your MLA’s primary job is to represent you in the house. If they are silent during sessions, your voice is silent.

• What to do: Visit the official Kerala Niyamasabha portal.
• What to check: Use the "Questions & Answers" section. Search for your MLA’s name. See if they have asked questions about local issues like water shortages, road repairs, or youth unemployment in your specific constituency.
• Expected outcome: You will see a PDF of the question asked and the Minister’s official reply. This is a "primary source" and cannot be easily dismissed as "fake news."

3. Monitor the MLALADS Funds

Each MLA gets ₹5 crore annually. In a 5-year term, that is ₹25 crore for your local area.

• What to do: Go to the Kerala State Planning Board or your respective District Collectorate website (e.g., ernakulam.nic.in).
• What to bring: Your constituency name and the name of your MLA.
• What to check: Look for the "MLALADS Work Status" report. It lists every project sanctioned, the amount released, and the current status (Started/Completed/Pending).
• If it fails: If the data is missing or outdated, File an RTI online with the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the District Planning Office asking for the "List of works sanctioned and completed under MLALADS for [Constituency Name] for the years 2021-2026."

4. Use the CM’s Grievance Redressal Cell

If local officials are ignoring you, escalate it to the state level. Kerala has a robust digital grievance system.

• What to do: Log on to the Chief Minister’s Public Grievance Redressal Cell.
• What to upload: Photos of the issue (e.g., an illegal dump site, a non-functional government clinic), previous complaints you filed at the Panchayat/Municipality level, and your Aadhaar for verification.
• Timeline: You should receive an acknowledgement number immediately. By law, most grievances must be addressed within 15 to 30 days.
• What to do if it fails: If the response is a standard "matter is being looked into" with no action after 30 days, use the grievance ID to file a First Appeal under the Right to Service Act if applicable in that department.

5. Check the Local Body Performance

In Kerala, the Decentralisation of Power means your Ward Member or Councillor often has more immediate impact than the CM.

• What to do: Attend the Gram Sabha or Ward Sabha. Under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act/Municipality Act, these meetings must happen at least once every three months.
• What to bring: A list of specific questions about the "Annual Plan" of your local body.
• Expected timeline: The minutes of the meeting must be recorded. If you find fraud in local projects like road tiling or well cleaning, you can report it to the Local Self Government (LSG) Ombudsman.

If you find that funds for rural employment are being diverted, check our MGNREGA vigilance toolkit for specific steps on social audits.

Browse all civic-action guides to learn more about holding different levels of government accountable.

Where it usually breaks

Even with the best tools, the system has "lag" built into it. Here is where your accountability project might hit a wall and how to bypass it:

1. The "Information Not Available" Loophole: When you file an RTI for MLALADS spending, the Public Information Officer (PIO) might claim the data is "not maintained in the requested format" or ask you to visit the office to inspect files.

   • Workaround: Be hyper-specific. Instead of asking for "all spending details," ask for the "Certified copy of the Work Completion Certificates and Sanction Orders for all projects in [Your Ward/Panchayat] for the financial year 2024-25." If they still refuse, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act within 30 days.

2. The Portal Ghosting: The Kerala Niyamasabha portal or the State Planning Board site can sometimes be down or have broken links for specific MLA pages.

   • Workaround: Use the Wayback Machine (archive.org) to find older data, or better yet, head to the District Planning Office (DPO) at your local Collectorate. They are the custodians of MLALADS data. A physical letter addressed to the DPO usually gets a faster response than a glitchy website.

3. The PA Buffer: If you try to call your MLA, you will likely hit their Personal Assistant (PA). Their job is often to "gatekeep."

   • Workaround: Don't just call. Send a formal email or a registered post letter (AD). Under the Kerala Right to Service Act, 2012, certain services have timelines. While "answering a citizen's query" isn't a listed service, having a paper trail of your attempt to contact them makes it much harder for them to ignore you during a public meeting or "Janakeeya Sadas."

4. The "Work in Progress" Excuse: You might find a project listed as "ongoing" for three years.

   • Workaround: Check the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) portal (lsgkerala.gov.in). Cross-reference the MLALADS project with the Panchayat’s annual plan. If the funds were disbursed but no brick was laid, this is a "Social Audit" issue. Tag the official handles of the Kerala Finance Department and the MLA on X (formerly Twitter) with photos of the site.

Templates / script

RTI Template: Tracking MLA Funds (MLALADS)

To: The Public Information Officer (PIO), District Planning Office, [Your District Name] Collectorate. Subject: Request for information under RTI Act 2005 regarding MLALADS funds for [Name of Constituency].

Body: Sir/Madam, Please provide the following information regarding the MLA Local Area Development Scheme (MLALADS) for the constituency of [Name] for the period 2021–2026:

1. A detailed list of all projects proposed by the MLA and sanctioned by the District Collector.
2. The total amount sanctioned for each project and the current status (Completed/Ongoing/Not Started).
3. The names of the implementing agencies for the top 5 largest projects by budget.
4. If any funds have lapsed (not been used) in the last two financial years, please provide the specific amounts and reasons recorded.

I have attached the RTI fee of ₹10 via [Court Fee Stamp/Postal Order]. Please send the information to my address below.

Email Script: Questioning your MLA on Assembly Performance

To: [MLA Email Address - find it on niyamasabha.nic.in] Subject: Query regarding representation of [Constituency Name] in the Niyamasabha

Body: Dear [MLA Name] Sir/Madam, I am a resident of [Your Area] and a voter in your constituency. While reviewing the Niyamasabha proceedings for the [Mention Session, e.g., 15th Session], I noticed that issues regarding [Specific Issue, e.g., the waste management crisis in Ward 4] were not raised during the Q&A sessions.

As my representative, I would like to know:

1. Have you submitted any "Unstarred Questions" regarding this issue in the last year?
2. What steps are being taken to ensure this local concern reaches the relevant Minister?

I look forward to your response, which I intend to share with our local residents' association to keep them informed of your efforts.

Regards, [Your Name] [Your Phone Number]

FAQs

1. Can I track an MLA if I am not a resident of their constituency? Yes. Under the RTI Act, any citizen of India can ask for information from any public authority. However, when writing directly to an MLA to demand action, your "standing" as a local voter usually carries more weight.

2. What is the maximum amount an MLA can spend on a single project? As of 2024, the MLALADS guidelines in Kerala allow for a wide range of projects, but they are generally meant for "small-scale" infrastructure. There is no hard "maximum" per project within the ₹5 crore annual limit, but the project must create a durable community asset.

3. Does the RTI fee change for Kerala? The basic application fee for a Kerala State Government RTI is ₹10. You can pay this using a Court Fee Stamp (available at any document writer's shop near a court or sub-registrar office) or through the online RTI portal of Kerala.

4. What if the MLA is from the Opposition? Do they still get the ₹5 crore? Yes. The MLALADS is a statutory scheme. Every one of the 140 MLAs in the Kerala Niyamasabha receives the same allocation (₹5 crore per year), regardless of whether they are in the ruling LDF coalition or the UDF opposition.

5. How long does it take to get a reply to an RTI? By law (Section 7 of the RTI Act), the PIO must reply within 30 days. If the information concerns the "Life or Liberty" of a person, they must reply within 48 hours, though MLA fund queries rarely fall into this category.

6. Can I see how my MLA voted on a specific Bill? Unlike the US Congress, the Kerala Niyamasabha often uses "voice votes." However, for major contested Bills, you can check the "Proceedings" (Niyamasabha Sameeksha) on the official website to see if a division was called and how the blocks voted.

7. Is there a way to track the LIFE Mission progress in my area? Yes. The LIFE Mission (Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment) has its own tracking system. You can check the progress of house constructions by district and local body on the LIFE Mission Kerala portal.