THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giving impetus to the Opposition’s allegation that the LDF government is putting the blame on the officials for the deep-sea fishing controversy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday came down heavily on N Prasanth, managing director of Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation. Talking to reporters here, Pinarayi said Prasanth had signed the MoU with EMCC International India Private Limited against the fisheries policy.
Reiterating that the signing of MoU was without the government’s knowledge, Pinarayi said the four-acre land at KSIDC’s Mega Food Park at Pallipuram in Alappuzha has not been transferred. On Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala’s allegation that the US firm’s representatives had held talks with the CM, he said he did not remember meeting them.
He said the LDF government cancelled the MoU not because there was anything wrong with it, but wanted to remove the blemish, if any, before the society as Chennithala, who is holding a responsible position, had been misleading the people and the fisher folk alike.
Chennithala challenged Pinarayi, claiming that even if he locks all documents with four seals, he will bring them out. He reiterated that the MoU was signed with the CM’s knowledge. He was speaking at Poonthura coinciding with his day-long satyagraha demanding the resignation of Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma, a judicial probe into deep-sea fishing fiasco and withdrawal of amendment to fisheries policy.
On CPM leaders’ allegations that there was a conspiracy between him and his ex-private secretary Prasanth, Chennithala said, “Now when the fisheries minister has been caught red handed, she is coming up with lame excuses,” said Chennithala.
Send more vaccines, CM urges Centre
T’Puram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged the Centre to dispatch more Covid vaccines taking into account the peculiar situation in the state. He also demanded that the Centre permit private entrepreneurs to distribute vaccines at affordable rates. On Karnataka stopping travellers from Kerala, he said there is no justification in stopping interstate travel that was allowed by the Centre post lockdown. He hoped the Centre would take a decision in favour of the state’s interests.