INTUC youth wing defends R Chandrasekharan

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.