Thiruvananthapuram: Revenue minister E. Chandrashekharan on Tuesday said that the legal opinion in connection with the allegations against transport minister Thomas Chandy will not get delayed.
The minister was responding to questions from mediapersons on the CPM decision to wait for the legal opinion before taking any action against the minister. “We are expecting the legal opinion any time now,” he said.
Mr Chandrashekharan said he has already conveyed his opinion on the issue to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. However, the minster declined to share the details. The file containing the revenue minister’s strong view is currently pending with Chief Minister.
In normal course, the files pertaining to revenue department, especially on allegations of encroachment and reclamation of paddy land or lake, need not go to the chief minister. However, since the present case involves a Cabinet minister, the Chief Minister has to look into it before any action is finalised.
The revenue minister’s statement on early legal opinion comes amid allegations that a section of CPM leadership wants to delay the legal opinion for obvious reasons. Chandrashekharan and his party have taken a firm stand against Chandy on the basis of the findings of Alappuzha collector.
The CPI believes that any relaxation or leniency towards Chandy would only weaken the LDF government’s resolve to deal sternly with encroachers. Moreover, it will encourage encroachers to carry on with their destructive activities like reclamation of lakes, paddy fields and unauthorised quarrying at the cost of the environment and ecology, it is feared.
The party feels that a strong action would send a stern warning against the wrong doers which is the need of hte hour.
The CPI state executive scheduled to be held this week is expected to put pressure on the government to expedite the process to get legal opinion.
The party had taken strong exception to Advocate General C.P. Sudhakaran Prasad’s decision to continue with state attorney K.V. Sohan. The revenue minister had recommended additional AG Ranjith Thampan to represent the case.
