Put on hold work until judicial probe report’s out: VS

ON a day Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated berth construction for Vizhinjam Port, CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan toughened his stance against the Vizhinjam deal.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ON a day Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated berth construction for Vizhinjam Port, CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan toughened his stance against the Vizhinjam deal.
In a letter to Pinarayi, the Administrative Reforms Commission chairman on Thursday asked the government to urgently stop all construction activities at Vizhinjam till the judicial commission comes out with its report.

In the wake of the CAG findings, necessary corrections should be brought in in the concession agreement, he said.It was the LDF which first raised the issue of corruption in the deal, VS said while reminding his party that during the Assembly election also the Left Front had reiterated the issue. The LDF has always maintained the concession agreement should be reviewed. The Ports Minister has also made this stance clear in the Assembly, Achuthanandan said.

In the wake of the CAG findings the deal was against state’s interests, there should be necessary modifications. A project which is harmful to the state’s interests should not be continued. Otherwise, it will adversely affect the state’s coastal zone and the livelihood of fishermen. “At least till the time the judicial probe comes out with its report, the project should be put on hold,” VS demanded.

Any investigation should be with the sole purpose of bringing those who have manipulated such a deal, before the law. “The rights and wrongs of the findings by a constitutional body like the CAG need not be probed further. What needs to be investigated is the conspiracy behind each of the issues pointed out by the CAG. All transactions related to the deal should be brought under minute scrutiny,” VS said.

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