
MALAPPURAM: Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on Thursday criticised Excise Minister M B Rajesh, accusing him of corruption in granting preliminary sanction to Oasis Commercial Private Limited to establish a liquor manufacturing unit in Elappully, Palakkad.
Satheesan cited the cabinet note he released on Wednesday to explain that no consultation or permission was sought from key departments, including finance, water resources, industries, and local self-government, before granting approval to Oasis. In a more intense attack on the state government, Satheesan also implicated former Telangana Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter, K Kavitha, an accused in the Delhi liquor policy case, suggesting her involvement in the liquor manufacturing project.
Speaking to reporters in Malappuram, Satheesan clarified that his argument was not about releasing a secret cabinet note but about the fact that the approval for the company was given solely by the CM and the excise minister, without consulting with other departments.
“The excise minister on Wednesday responded to the opposition’s statements regarding the approval given to the liquor manufacturing company. The minister claimed that I presented the cabinet meeting note claiming it to be a secret document.
I never called it a secret document. The opposition’s allegation was that the decision to grant the company approval was made solely by the CM and the excise minister, without consulting any other departments. The cabinet note was presented to substantiate that point. What strong evidence is needed than that to prove my point? The minister did not challenge the authenticity of the document,” Satheesan said.
He further explained that his second accusation was that the approval was granted without transparency.
“The excise minister claimed that the company was granted approval based on the change in the liquor policy in 2023, but the opposition asserted that no one was informed about this policy change. However, the opposition never claimed that no one knew about the liquor policy change. We specifically pointed out that no one was aware that liquor licences would be issued under the revised policy,” the opposition leader clarified.