Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday said the state government would not allow the investments by the EMKE Group headed by M A Yusuf Ali to go to any other state. “The state government will not allow him to withdraw from the Bolghatty project as it involves creation of 4,000 direct jobs and 12,000 indirect jobs,” Chandy said.
Terming the CPM allegation that Ali had encroached upon the land of Port Trust as an unwanted controversy, Chandy said that Ali had always acted in the best interest of Kerala. “From the Smart City project to other investments in Kerala, Ali had always played a proactive role for the development of the state. The CPM which is raising the allegation now should have pointed out the same when it was in power,” he said.
Chandy said that he had sought a report from the Port Trust Chairman regarding the land allocation and was told that the land has been allotted for Lulu Group after calling tender.
Non-Refundable
According to the Clause 1 (a) the lease deed between Cochin Port Trust and Lulu Convention and Exhibition centre, the premium of about `71.38 crore paid by Lulu is non-refundable under any circumstance.