THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Veteran CPM leader V.S. Achuthanandan on Monday welcomed the state government’s decision to order judicial probe into the allegations of corruption in Vizhinjam sea port project agreement. He said the previous UDF government had rewritten the agreement to favour the Adani Group. The veteran said in the event of the government finding it difficult to get the services of a sitting judge, the probe should be handed over to a central investigation agency of repute.
Achuthanandan recalled that prior to the signing of the agreement the opposition had raised the issue within and outside Assembly. Because of UDF’s loyalty to Adani Group the opposition could not succeed in persuading them against it. Despite the audit report on the agreement pointing serious lapses, the UDF government was not prepared to make any alterations or changes. In fact the shady agreement received the total backing of the Central Government. It is in this backdrop that the LDF stated publicly that the agreement should be reconsidered. Ports Minister had also referred to this in Assembly.
The veteran leader said the CAG’s latest comprehensive report had pointed to serious irregularities in connection with the agreement. The CAG report has vindicated my earlier statement that the UDF government had prepared a fraud agreement throwing the state's interests to winds. The LDF manifesto had clearly mentioned that once CAG report is submitted on an issue the Government would take corrective measures within two months. Achuthanandan demanded that the government should make required changes as pointed out by a constitutional body like the CAG.
