THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy captured the hearts of the people by making everything transparent during his tenure. He welcomed the public into his office. He introduced a web camera in his office allowing anyone worldwide to witness the work being done in real-time.

The web camera in the Chief Minister's office remained active whenever he was present in the chamber. People could watch live broadcasts of important events such as conferences, discussions and the Chief Minister receiving petitions. These live streams were made available through the official Chief Minister's website. The idea of installing a web camera was proposed by Oommen Chandy himself soon after assuming office for the second time.

When the Chief Minister suggested the idea of opening his office to the public eye many officials opposed. They argued that it would be impractical to have a web camera constantly recording when people visited with petitions and complaints. Oommen Chandy stood firm in his decision. Supporting the Chief Minister, Principal Secretary Dinesh Verma played a crucial role. When the Chief Minister's decision was implemented it attracted attention even in the international media.

When controversies involving some individuals in the Chief Minister's office emerged, Oommen Chandy firmly stated that anyone could review the camera footage at any time. The subsequent government led by the LDF chose not to continue the web streaming initiative introduced by Oommen Chandy.

Opening the Chief Minister's office to the public also resulted in some interesting incidents. On one occasion when the Chief Minister's staff arrived in the morning they were surprised to find someone else sitting in the Chief Minister's chair. They informed the police who viewed the person as mentally vulnerable. Oommen Chandy found it amusing and replied with a smile at the incident of someone else taking possession of his chair. He instructed the authorities to ensure the safe return of the person to his relatives.