Probe Chandy’s role in airport scam: activist

Alleges conspiracy behind State government decision to support project

April 18, 2013 02:14 am | Updated 02:14 am IST - PATHANAMTHITTA:

The Thiruvaranmula Paithruka Grama Karma Samiti (TPGKS) chief patron Kummanam Rajashekharan has said that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy too should be made a key accused in the ongoing Vigilance probe into alleged corruption and irregularities involved in the illegal land deals, conversion of paddy land, natural stream and so on taken place in the name of the proposed airport project at Aranmula, in the backdrop of the Cabinet decision to take 10 per cent equity in the controversial private airport company at Aranmula.

Deposing before the investigating officer, P.K. Jagadeesh, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Vigilance and Anti-Corruption), Mr. Rajashekharan alleged that the government decision to take 10 per cent equity in the airport company came at a time when the Kottayam Vigilance Court had ordered a detailed inquiry into the alleged corruption.

Mr. Rajashekharan alleged that the State government was even in the know of the very fact that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEFs) had not granted the mandatory clearance for the proposed airport project. Hence there was every reason to suspect a criminal conspiracy and corruption behind the government decision to blindly support a controversial private project that required wanton conversion of paddy land, wetland and natural streams leading to river the Pampa, he alleged.

He said the Chief Minister’s dubious role in the alleged airport scam should be subjected to a thorough investigation.

Rule violation

In his statement before the Vigilance Dy.SP, Mr. Rajashekharan alleged that the private company had managed to obtain various clearances, violating all the precedence, rules and various laws of the land.

The TPGKS chief patron, who is also the complainant, has further alleged criminal intimidations, conspiracy, and large-scale corruption at higher levels in granting various clearances for the airport project.

No approval

He alleged that the State Cabinet had never given approval for notifying 500 acres of land in and around Aranmula as industrial area. Moreover, the company had misrepresented all the crucial facts concerning the land identified for the project before government agencies with a dubious design to obtain various clearances, making it a major scam, he alleged.

Mr. Rajashekharan further called for a detailed inquiry into all the ‘operations’ made by the private company for obtaining various clearances for the proposed airport project.

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