THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Alleging external influence in the preparation of the CAG report on Vizhinjam project, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is considering filing a complaint with a competent authority against the Central audit watchdog.
According to Chandy, the consultant involved in the audit of the project has authored many adverse reports against the Vizhinjam project earlier and also published it. The CAG didn’t take the explanation given by the government on certain contentious points, he said. “I’m discussing it with legal experts. A final decision will be taken in a couple of days,” Chandy told Express.
Chandy’s move assumes significance since the government has appointed a commission of inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge to probe into the agreement. The CAG report says the Vizhinjam agreement, inked during the tenure of the previous UDF Government has been detrimental to the interests of the state and illegal, on the premise of extending the contract period to 40 years, though normal the concession period is 30 years.
The report says the agreement would facilitate the Adani Group to gain an additional profit of `29,000 crore.Chandy says the 40-year contract will ensure returns to the state from the 15th year, irrespective of profit or loss for the concessionaire, unlike zero returns till the 30th year under the agreement mooted by the V S Achuthanandan Government.