THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Sunday was reluctant to respond to questions regarding the approval of Rs 30,500 from the public exchequer for the purchase of her spectacles. Speaking to the media, the minister replied that she did not want to answer the question related to this. After asking more questions, the minister turned the mic off. The questions were raised by the media when the minister came to participate in the Keraleeyam.

The minister bought the glasses last April. Even then, an application was made to the Public Administration Department for allotment of money along with the bill, but the money was not granted due to financial crisis. It is reported that after a complaint was raised about this, the Chief Minister intervened and expedited the release of the money. When the government stuggled to pay for schemes welfare pensions due to the financial crisis, money was spent on spectacles and objections are being raised from many quarters against this.

Even during the previous Pinarayi government, ministers used government benefits to buy glasses. Sreeramakrishnan, who was the speaker at that time, had taken Rs 49,900 for new glasses and had caused a lot of criticism. KK Shailaja, who was the health minister, spent Rs 29,000 to buy the glasses.