KOLLAM: Despite its reopening after being closed for two decades, controversies continue to haunt the Kundara unit of Aluminium Industries Ltd (Alind). The Opposition has cried foul over the alleged move of the state government to sell off the high-priced land at Kundara to Somani Group and the laxity of the authorities in operating the unit since the reopening.However, the company authorities said the unwarranted controversies will haunt Alind which is looking to get a foothold on the market. Meanwhile, questions have arisen from various quarters over the disregard on the government’s part in not considering the findings of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) before reopening the company.
“How can a company, which came into being in 1946, with considerable share among the public end up in the hands of private parties?” said G Asokan, convener, Alind Thozhilali Koottayma.
“The company with a high revenue turnover till 1985 somehow stumbled and it’s through the reform programme in 1989 that the Somani Group first came into the scene as a promoter.”
According to him, after pushing the Kundara unit towards further revenue loss, to the tune of C78 crore, the promoters unilaterally withdrew from the reform programme.
“It is interesting to note the LDF Government led by V S Achuthanandan had indeed planned to take over Kundara Alind, which had then turned into a sick unit. They had even come out with an ordinance - Aluminium Industries Limited (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) - for the same. But as Alind had industrial units outside the state, it needed the approval of the Central Government. The ordinance was sent to the Centre and it recommended seeking the possibility of passing a Bill in this regard,” Asokan said.The UDF Government led by Oommen Chandy then put the recommendation in cold storage. Interestingly, in a report submitted by the VACB Director to the government in June 2017, it was suggested the government should reconsider the possibility of introducing the Aluminium Industries Limited (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Bill.
According to Opposition trade unions, the government - under the guise of reviving a sick unit - is in turn engaged in a murky land deal. Only a CBI inquiry will bring out the truth, the union leaders said. It is also learned some trade union activists were planning to approach the High Court seeking its intervention in the matter. At the same time, commenting on the controversies, Alind divisional chief executive R Sreekumar told Express the present hullabaloo was unwarranted and that such rows will only help to push the company into further trouble. “They say we are not resuming operations. This is a unit which has just been reopened. We have to begin from scratch. Negotiations are on and we expect to commence commercial production in the next two or three weeks,” he said.
VS bats for govt takeover of Alind
T’Puram: Putting the Left Government in a spot, former Chief Minister and CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan has reiterated his earlier demand that Alind and its properties should be taken over by the government. In a detailed statement, the chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission said at this stage his name is being unnecessarily dragged in connection with Alind, which has been defunct for long. VS pointed out the company has landed properties worth thousands of crores, within and outside the state. The only intention of the promoters is to get these properties.