THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the third consecutive day, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala stood firm in his allegation against the LDF Government entering into a MoU with the US Company, EMCC International (India) Pvt Ltd for deep sea fishing on Kerala coast.
On Sunday, he produced two more documents pertaining to the MoU signed at ASCEND 2020, Kerala Global Investors Meet and also the allotment of 4 acres of land at Pallipuram Industrial Growth Centre, Alappuzha.
Talking to reporters at Cantonment House, Chennithala informed that the agreement was signed not overnight, but after holding talks for more than three years where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also met the company CEO Duane E. Gerenser.
A day after fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma expressed her displeasure against industries minister E P Jayarajan, who allegedly convinced the American company to carry out the project and allotted land to execute it, Chennithala alleged that Chief Minister's department had also signed an agreement with it for building fishing vessels.
Coming down heavily against the trio, Chennithala alleged that the LDF Government is trying to hide everything. He challenged the LDF Government whether they will cancel the MoU.
"If the LDF Government doesn't have any wrong intentions, why did they not cancel the two MoU's? Now the LDF Government is trying to put all the blame on the officials. I am challenging Pinarayi to come out with a comprehensive probe on the issue and Jayarajan can also probe on my role in raising the allegation", said Chennithala.
He also reiterated that the 2018 fisheries policy has been amended which saw the American Company walking away with the contract where Section 2.(9) has since become controversial. It states that those fishing vessels which spend several days in the deep sea will be promoted. Fisheries minister had maintained on Saturday that this was not meant for foreign fish vessels, but for local fishing vessels.
Following Pinarayi’s comment against Kerala State Inland Navigation Corporation managing director N Prasanth, who was the former private secretary of Chennithala when he was the home minister, the Opposition Leader maintained that the official's name need not be dragged in unnecessarily.
“Prasanth had worked under me and also under former union BJP minister, Alphons Kannanthanam. Pinarayi should explain whether he had held talks with EMCC International (India) Pvt Ltd CEO Gerenser. He had earlier claimed that he had not met the accused in the gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh, but later remembered. CPM’s old campaign slogan was American Model Arabian Sea. But now what’s being witnessed is American ships are seen in Arabian Sea”, added Chennithala.