Graft involved in medical college projects: Jacob Thomas

Alappuzha: Proving the Deccan Chronicle report published on March 4 this year right, Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas on Thursday said that medical college projects including one in Haripad constituency of the former home minister and present Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala had corruption deals. Mr Thomas was talking to media persons here after vetting allegations levelled against the proposed medical colleges including Wayanad, Palakkad, Idukki and Harippad.

He reached Alappuzha as part of an investigation relating to the medical sector in the state. Convening a meeting of vigilance sleuths in the district, he said that the Quick Verification on the allegations on Haripad would be completed in a month. Presently, vigilance is looking into the allegations in awarding consultancy. Apart from this, all other allegations levelled against it will be looked into, he said. It was Mr Chennithala who was the master brain behind the project. Since the LDF government came to power, Mr Chennithala was facing heat from the vigilance. 

The report appeared in Deccan Chronicle on March 5.

Earlier, G. Sudhakaran, minister for public works, had raised the matter issuing an order to investigate the allegations on the consultancy deal. As per the allegation, five companies had come forward when the government invited tenders for designing the project. However, the UDF government had sealed tender for the highest amount for a single company discarding applications of rest. So, with the Vigilance director’s statement, now Mr Chennithala will have much to answer.

In addition to this, on June 5 finance minister Dr T.M. Thomas Isaac had said that the order issued by the previous government with regard to Haripad Medical College would be reviewed. He also said that Government would not take up financial liability in public-private partnership project.   It was Deccan Chronicle  which first reported about the corruption in the project exposing an order issued on December 17 last year by the secretary, health and family welfare.