Rare solidarity across political spectrum
Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: No other scam in Kerala in recent times had seen such perfect vibes between the Oommen Chandy-led Government and the CPM-led Opposition as the more than Rs 500-crore cashew graft.
Thanks to a few bureaucrats, notably Additional Chief Secretary K.M. Abraham, and the whistle-blower labour unionist, Manoj Kadakampally, the nut graft would not have reached the Court. In a fortnight, the CBI would take over the case.
No ministry worth its name would have hit a self-goal by “gifting” Rs 30 crore as contingency fund to the controversial Dr K.A. Ratheesh, managing director of a bleeding Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation for a decade. Was it not the Cabinet which recommended a Vigilance probe against the MD in June this year?
It’s as if such recommendations shoved under. The Government had announced a Vigilance probe into the KSCDC mess in the Assembly in June 2012. But it never took off and nobody raised a whimper because the Corporation has been a milch cow for netas across the board.
The very public image of CPM politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan, accompanied by former Industry Minister Elamaram Kareem, cosying up to the fasting R Chandrasekharan, the KSCDC chairman, and KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran offering juice to end his hunger stir shows that cashew politics makes strange bedfellows.
But what had transpired in the Cabinet away from public gaze is more telling. At one of the weekly cabinet meetings, Dr K.M. Abraham had to face the brunt of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala’s ire because he opposed “gifting” '30 crore to the tainted official albeit in the name of safeguarding the interests of cashew workers.
Dr Abraham, who presides over the cash-strapped State exchequer, had suggested giving '10 crore for the corporation to do nut purchase from the open market and make incremental returns by selling them than forever depend on the Government generosity.
“Then you run the show”, retorted Mr Chennithala, his voice raised. Dr Abraham stood his ground, stating that he would not “aid and abet” corruption. A few Ministers appreciated Dr Abraham’s guts but remained quiet. It was left to Finance Minister K.M. Mani to defend the bureaucrat, saying he has to air the Finance view.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is aware of the plunder but he feigns ignorance. Which is why he cited the interests of cashew labour when the Vigilance case was raised at a Cabinet briefing.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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