Thiruvananthapuram: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has denied the reports that he had differences of opinion with PWD Minister V. K. Ebrahimkunju and Water Resources Minister P. J. Joseph over the suspension of PWD chief engineer T. K. Satheeshan and KWA chief engineer V. K. Mahanudevan over corruption charges.
It may be recalled that Mr Chennithala had taken action against the officials 12 days ago for awarding the contract to Kerala State Construction Corporation.
The Vigilance had said that these officials’ dealings were not transparent in the Parappanangadi overbridge work which was awarded to a contractor for '8 crore without taking the quotation.
Mr Chennithala told mediapersons in New Delhi that his fight was against corruption and that he had acted as per the report of Vigilance and Anti- Corruption Bureau director Vinson M. Paul. However, Mr Ebrahimkunju told DC that he had made only an oral complaint to the Chief Minister.
Mr Chennithala said that he had apprised Mr Oommen Chandy of the situation.
“The Malappuram unit of V&ACB had twice recommended that these two CEs should be suspended. Action was taken on the basis of the advice from V&ACB director, business rules, High Court manual and secretariat manual,” said Mr Chennithala.
Mr Ebrahimkunju said he had objected to the way in which Mr Chennithala had acted without consulting him or the CM. Sources close to Mr P. J. Joseph said that he too had criticised Mr Chennithala’s move.
