Thiruvananthapuram: Former chief minister Oommen Chandy is believed to have come out unscathed in the Rs 7-crore solar scam after four years judicial inquiry. The one-man commission headed by Justice G. Sivarajan submitted its report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday, a day before its tenure ends. Reports say there is no direct mention of the senior Congress leader though it hints at a lapse on the part of his office in preventing it. He ordered the probe after following allegations that fraudsters used phone calls made by his staff and forged letters to cheat customers to the tune of Rs 7 crore.
Justice Sivarajan declined to comment on the contents of the four-volume report saying the chief minister would inform the media about it. Mr Vijayan, however, said he would inform the media of its findings later. However, media reports said it found lapses on the part of the investigating officers who initially handled the case. Mr Vijayan’s private secretary M. V. Jayarajan told DC that the CM would present the findings before the cabinet, but not on Wednesday.
“Solar commission report is not on this Wednesday’s agenda. It cannot be taken as out of agenda and not humanly possible to go through the four volumes within a single night,” he said. He also told DC that the government would decide whether the report should be approved or rejected. Reports suggested that there were four sections in the final report - findings, recommendations, directions and testimony. The cabinet has to accept it and then send to the law secretary, B. G. Raveendranath. Eventually, it will contemplate on whether the findings have to be considered. Later the cabinet's recommendations would be tabled in the Assembly.
Not worried about report, says Chandy
Former chief minister Oommen Chandy is unconcerned about the contents of the solar scam judicial commission's report as, he says, he has not done anything wrong. “The commission’s findings will not have any impact on the Vengara by-poll,” he told reporters after Justice G. Sivarajan submitted the four- volume report to chief minister on Tuesday."I have full confidence in the outcome of the judicial commission report. The previous UDF government did not have anything to hide and we had co-operated with the commission," he said.
