Nod for distillery: Kerala opposition intensifies criticism

Leader of opposition V D Satheesan questioned the criteria on which the company was given the permission. “Why was this company given permission?” he asked.
Oasis group of companies
Oasis group of companies(Photo | Linkedin)
Updated on
2 min read

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The opposition Congress has stepped up criticism against the LDF government for giving permission to Oasis group of companies to start a distillery unit in Kanjikode.

Leader of opposition V D Satheesan questioned the criteria on which the company was given the permission. “Why was this company given permission?” he asked.

“The owner of the company had been arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor case. A case had been registered against the company for polluting groundwater and for disposing of waste in Punjab. However, the excise minister is praising the company.

The minister should reveal how much fund was received. The permission should be cancelled. The opposition will not allow the operation of the company in Palakkad which is facing an acute drinking water shortage,” Satheesan told reporters.

Former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala also demanded the cancellation of the permission and alleged that it was the excise minister who had presented the matter in the cabinet. “He should reveal his interest in the matter,” Chennithala demanded.

However, Excise Minister M B Rajesh dismissed the charges and told media that the allegation was being raised with an intention of creating confusion.

“The allegations are politically motivated and factually wrong. The government has only taken a decision on an investment proposal that came up before it.

The Excise Commissioner had examined the proposal. The government gave permission only after that. How could a government invite tender on an investment proposal that came up before it? Though the 1999 government order banned giving permission to liquor production units, the LDF government had changed it in the 2023-’24 liquor policy and stated that liquor production would start in the state.

It had also said that the government will give permission if anyone came forward to start companies that produce ethanol and spirit. Oasis Company has an OMC (Oil Marketing Company) agreement with the central government for distributing ethanol. If any environmental violations are noticed, stringent action will be taken,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, vice-president of Oasis Group of Companies in Kerala V P Gopikrishnan told TNIE that the company had assured the government that it would not exploit groundwater. “We had obtained consent from the KWA before participating in the tender of the Oil Company.

The project could be implemented in the state only after obtaining the clearance of the MoEF and approval of the National Green Tribunal. The land on which the project is to be started is not an environmentally sensitive area. The company would implement the project through four phases after ensuring water availability,” he said.

He said, “This is the 10th project of the company to be started in Kerala. 15,000 people will get direct employment and another 5,000 will get indirect employment. A money-laundering case was registered against the company officials for creating environmental damage. The case against the company in Punjab originated after we declined to give money to some NGOs related to Khalistan based in Canada.”

Related Stories

No stories found.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com