Minister Mercykkutty Amma blames UDF for cashew row

KOLLAM: Minister Mercykkutty Amma has blamed the UDF government for the current plight of cashew sector without implementing the minimum wages announced in March 2015. She also alleged that the then government had taken side with the private cashew factory owners to sabotage it by closing down plants under the Cashew Corporation. “We have made strategic decisions to rescue the corporation wrecked in corruption and make Capex and Cashew Corporation plants functional. The suppliers even refused to participate in tenders they floated as they are under CBI and Vigilance probe for corruption,” she said responding to allegations of corruption Congress legislator raised in the Assembly against her recently.

“We have given relaxations to the e-tender process to ensure maximum participation of bidders. Unlike his allegations, it was not the current MDs of the companies but former MDs Jeevan Babu IAS and R. Jayachandran who took part in the meeting of suppliers in my chamber.” The Corporation had purchased 3,807 tonnes of cashew through four tenders and Capex, 1389 tonnes in two. In another bid dated October 4, Capeboughted 500 tonnes more, which is not yet delivered.

The government has sent a team including cashew industries department secretary James Varghese, corporation’s former chairperson and labour commissioner K. Biju and the MDs to Tanzania to check the feasibility of direct import. As a one-time settlement for the long pending debt of the corporation, the Government will pay an amount of Rs 80 crore to the banks, she said. It has allotted Rs 200 crore for the sector. She claimed that Mr Satheesan fabricated the allegations of corruption to the tune of 10.34 crore. She also called him as “an ancestor of Goebbels in telling lies”.