Ramesh Chennithala says, Jiji Thomson’s claim ‘false’
Chief Secretary claims, had written dissent note on palmolein import file in 1992
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-07-16 06:31 GMT
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Home minister Ramesh Chennithala has contradicted chief secretary Jiji Thomson’s claim that he, as the managing director of Civil Supplies Corporation, had written a dissent note on the palmolein import file in 1992.
“On the basis of the documents subject to Vigilance probe, the claim is false,” the home minister said in a written reply in the Assembly on July 13. The home minister also stated that the Vigilance had not carried out any investigation on the basis of the chief secretary’s claim. In early June this year, during his interaction with the media, the chief secretary said that he had written a disagreement note on the file for importing palmolein from Malayasia during the time of the K. Karunakaran-led government.
“My stand was that selecting a company without going for a global tender was wrong,” he had said. He also spoke about the emotional anguish the palmolein case had caused him. “I have been facing a case for the past 25 years even though I had written a disagreement note. I had no choice but to accept it as an official,” he said.
His statement was completely at odds with the consistent stand of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy that the deal had brought a profit of Rs 8.5 crore to the state. Mr Thomson said that, however, once a decision was taken by the government on the issue, it was his duty to stand by it.