Wind up Vizhinjam if tainted, says PAC

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The political affairs committee of the KPCC has said that the Vizhinjam international container terminal and port project should be wound up if there was corruption in the deal between the state government and the Adani Vizhinjam Ports for it. The LDF government was showing double standards in the issue by alleging that there was corruption in the deal and then going ahead with it, KPCC president M.M. Hassan said after the PAC meeting here on Tuesday.   The meeting witnessed  heated arguments  between former KPCC presidents V. M. Sudheeran and  Mr K. Muraleedharan  on the Vizhinjam project.

Mr  Hassan expressed doubts whether the meeting should discuss the project when the judicial probe was on. But former chief minister Oommen Chandy insisted on a discussion  as the CAG report had  cast doubts on the deal.    Mr Sudheeran said it was not discussed in any of the  party forums during the UDF government’s tenure. However,  Mr Muraleedharan denied it  and said the Congress manifesto had promised it which  helped the UDF in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.

AICC in-charge P. C. Chacko said there was some suspicion as there was only a single bidder. Mr V.D.  Satheesan MLA  had last month  asked Mr  Hassan to convene the  PAC meeting to discuss the controversies  which upset the Oommen Chandy camp.   Mr Satheesan took a dig at  senior Congress leaders who keep writing letters to the chief minister or other ministers seeking their intervention on  raging issues. Mr Hassan told reporters that the Congress had  already welcomed the judicial probe.