KOLLAM: The INTUC youth wing has defended Cashew Corporation chairman R. Chandrasekharan saying that the ‘visionary’ leader had fought for the welfare of the employees.
The tainted INTUC president had some time ago conducted a hunger strike in front of the secretariat to secure government funds to provide bonus and other allowances to the employees.
The youth wing alleged that additional chief secretary K.M. Abraham had made ‘mysterious interventions’ in his report submitted to the High Court on corruption in the corporation.
It also pleaded with the government to accept the resignation letter given by Mr. Chandrasekharan. The corruption allegation was part of a conspiracy hatched by Mr Kadakampally Manoj, it said.
A leader of the youth wing told reporters here on riday that the corruption issue was a media creation. The cabinet had decided on July 29 to give Rs 30 crore to the corporation.
This money was not received until August 10 and the INTUC leader staged a hunger strike for the sake of employees. This has been misinterpreted by the media, he said.
Had he not conducted the strike, the factories under the corporation would have remained shut pushing the employees into starvation even during Onam, he said.
An expert committee had found losses in the Capex also, but the Cashew Corporation alone was targeted. The government should accept Mr Chandrasekharan’s resignation from the chairmanship of the corporation, he demanded.
The youth wing leaders came down heavily on Mr Kadakampally Manoj and said private cashew factory owners were behind him.
“Kadakampally Manoj has no specific income and yet he travels in a car. He spends lakhs of rupees for his lawyer. Where does he get the money?” they asked. “All these are for the sake of private cashew owners,” they alleged.
Mr K.M. Abraham had been asked to assist the inquiry commission, but he himself prepared a confidential report, bypassed the Advocate-General and submitted it at the High Court. Mr Abraham tried not to give the money to the corporation, but Mr. Chandrasekharan “fought and procured” it for the employees, they said.
