Thiruvananthapuram: The state government on Tuesday decided to entrust the probe into the Titanium corruption scandal with the the CBI. The accused in the case include former chief minister Oommen Chandy, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and former PWD minister V.K. Ibrahim Kunju. The case relates to the alleged loss of Rs 200 crore in connection with the setting up of a waste water treatment plant in the company.
The Pollution Abat-ement Project at Trava-ncore Titanium Plant Limited (TTPL) in Thiruvananthapuram was taken up when Oommen Chandy was the chief minister during 2004-2005.
The plant was sanctioned by the then UDF government following the directives of the Supreme Court and the High Court to set up a system to check the heavy acid pollution in the area. The LDF government later stopped the project after the implementing agency, Mecon India Limited, a public sector company, approached the government in 2007 saying that the project cost had risen to Rs 414 crore. It was then that the then LDF government ordered a Vigilance inquiry into the deal.
The allegation was that the accused had conspired to appoint M/s. Mecon, Ranchi, as consultant, causing undue pecuniary advantage to the firm and consequent loss to the public sector entity.
Moreover, no global tender was invited for the construction of the effluent treatment plant.
The cases were filed by two former staff members, Sebastian George and S. Jayan. The other accused are officials of the company and representatives of a private firm that obtained the contract for the plant.
On the eve of Assembly elections in 2011, former Congress minister K.K. Ramachandran Master had alleged that he was removed from the Congress ministry in 2005 after he objected to the deal. He was later suspended from the party.
