by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to initiate a criminal and vigilance probe against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and several others in what is known as the Rs 7 million Solar Scam case.
Besides Chandy, the probe would also investigate his former cabinet colleagues, a former Union Minister, legislators, other Congress leaders and then senior police officers.
The allegations regarding the multi-crore solar energy investment fraud that rocked the Chandy government in 2013 were led by Saritha Nair and her live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan. Nair had alleged she was sexually exploited by several political leaders.
The Pinarayi Vijayan government also decided to initiate a sexual harassment case based on her letter against all those named by her.
Apart from Chandy, the police would probe former ministers Aryadan Mohammed, Adoor Prakash, A.P. Anil Kumar and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
The others named in the case are legislator Hibi Eden, former MLAs Benny Behanan and Thampanoor Ravi, Lok Sabha members Jose K. Mani and K.C. Venugopal, former union minister Palanimanickam and party office bearer N. Subramanian.
All those named in the case belong to the Congress, except for Jose K. Mani of the Kerala Congress (Mani).
The probe decision was announced by Vijayan after the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday, based on the recommendations of the Solar Scam Commission report submitted by Justice (retd) G. Sivarajan in September.
“The 1,723-page report in four volumes was handed over to the Advocate General and Director General of prosecution for their legal opinion.
“We decided to accept their recommendation and have decided to initiate criminal and vigilance cases as it has come to light this was a fraudulent business and … bribes were given.
“Another case based on the letter by Saritha that she was sexually exploited will also be registered as receiving money and sexual favours are equally culpable.
He said senior police officials who will face the probe include present Director General of Police A. Hemachandran, who had led the probe in 2013, and Additional Director General of Police A.K. Padmakumar.
Vijayan added that a Special Investigation Team led by Director General of Police Rajesh Diwan had been set up to investigate the cases.
The case broke out in June 2013 during Chandy’s rule (2011-16) after reports surfaced that three staffers in the Chief Minister’s Office had contacts with a couple who cheated many investors of money after promising to supply solar panels to them.
The Commission was appointed by the Chandy government in October 2013 under pressure from the then Left opposition.
While Saritha Nair is out on bail, Radhakrishnan is still in custody after it came to light that he had murdered his first wife.
Reacting to the development, Chandy said it would be dealt with legally and not the way the CPI-M did it when cases were registered against them.
“When we decided to appoint this Commission, a public interest litigation came up in the High Court to do away with it. But I filed an affidavit saying it should not be cancelled as the truth should come out.
“I have nothing to fear as I am guided by my conscience. I know I have done no wrong. If they feel they can finish me off through this case, they are thoroughly mistaken because I will bounce back even stronger.
“This is going to backfire on them very badly,” Chandy told reporters in Thrissur, adding it was strange that the Commission report is still kept under the wraps.
State Congress president M.M. Hassan told the media here that this is nothing but political ‘witch-hunting’
Former Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan, who as then Leader of Opposition (2011-16), mounted attacks on Chandy on the floor of the assembly after the scam surfaced, on Wednesday asked all those indicted, including Chandy, to quit public life for “outraging the modesty of women, corruption and abuse of power”.
Nair said she was “very happy” with the new developments. “I feel genuinely happy… All that I wanted to happen has happened. The truth will triumph.”
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate finance
Thiruvananthapuram:(IANS) Adani Ports chief Gautam Adani on Monday morning called on top political leaders of Kerala, ahead of the signing of an agreement with the Kerala government for the construction of the Vizhinjam port.
Adani, who arrived here along with a 10-member team, first called on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his cabinet colleagues.
“This was a pre-agreement meeting. We will go ahead with this project and talk to all those who have expressed concerns about the project. All concerns would be addressed,” Chandy said after the meeting.
“Funds for the project are not a concern,” state Finance Minister K.M. Mani said.
Adani then drove to the official residence of leader of the opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, and remained with him for 20 minutes.
Achuthanandan is understood to have told Adani that even though he would not be present when the agreement is inked later in the evening, he was not against the port project.
Adani later held meetings with the state BJP leaders.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Sunday termed the MoU a “rip-off”.
The Kerala government will ink an agreement on Monday evening with Adani Ports for the proposed Vizhinjam port, 25 years after the project was first mooted.
The central government too will participate in the project, to be completed in three phases at a cost of around Rs.7,525 crore.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Adani Ports chief Gautam Adani would be present when the agreement is signed between state Ports Secretary James Varghese and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited CEO Santhosh Kumar Mahapatra in the Durbar Hall of the state secretariat.
Though the first phase is expected to be ready in four years, Adani Ports officials told Chandy they would finish it in around two years.
Once completed, the port would enable ships with a capacity of even 18,000 TEU (20-feet equivalent units) to dock.
TEU is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals.
The proposed port, located close to the busy international shipping route, is envisaged to handle 4.1 million containers annually.
Adani Ports was the lone bidder and sought Rs.1,635 crore as grant for the project. It would operate the port for 40 years, extendable by another 20 years. The state government would get a portion of the revenue from the port after 15 years of operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to lay the foundation stone of the project on November 1, Kerala’s formation day.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Governance
Thiruvananthapuram:(IANS) The Kerala government will ink an agreement on Monday with Adani Ports for the proposed Vizhinjam port, 25 years after the project was first mooted.
The central government too will participate in the project, to be completed in three phases at a cost of around Rs.7,525 crore.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Adani Ports chief Gautam Adani would be present when the agreement is signed between state Ports Secretary James Varghese and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited CEO Santhosh Kumar Mahapatra at the Durbar Hall of state secretariat.
“If Vizhinjam was in any other state of India, the port would have been a reality more than quarter of a century back. Everything that a port needs is there in Vizhinjam,” said Chandy.
Though the first phase is expected to be ready in four years, Adani Ports officials told Chandy they would finish it in around two years.
Once completed, the port would enable ships with a capacity of even 18,000 TEU (20-feet equivalent units) to dock.
TEU is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals.
The proposed port, located close to the busy international shipping route, is envisaged to handle 4.1 million containers annually.
State Ports Minister K. Babu said Vizhinjam was the single biggest infrastructure project after the Idukki Dam and Kochi airport that’s going to materialise in the state.
“This is going to benefit not only the state, but the whole country,” said Babu.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) termed the MoU as a “rip-off”.
Leader of opposition V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI-M, told reporters on Sunday that of the total project cost Adani is to bring in Rs.2,454 crore.
“He has been given 500 acres of land, of which the port will need 300 acres. The land value of the 500 acres is estimated to be Rs.5,000 crore and if he pledges this land, he can raise Rs.3,000 crore,” said Achuthanandan.
“So, on day one Adani gets Rs.546 crore. This is what Chief Minister Oommen Chandy claims to be the dream project of Kerala,” he added.
Adani Ports was the lone bidder and sought Rs.1,635 crore as grant for the project. It would operate the port for 40 years, extendable by another 20 years. The state government would get a portion of the revenue from the port after 15 years of operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to lay the foundation stone of the project on November 1, Kerala’s formation day.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Entrepreneurship, Startup Basics
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy
Thiruvananthapuram:(IANS) The Kerala government is working on a master plan to create a billion dollar startups campus, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Wednesday.
Chandy was speaking after inaugurating the distribution of startup boxes to 50 young mobile app developers as part of the Youth Entrepreneurs Scheme (YES) 2015, of which the Kerala Startup Mission is the implementing agency.
The startup boxes have vital gadgets for mobile app developers to get started — a MacBook, iPhone, Google Nexus, Kindles and Arduino starter kit.
Putting forward a development strategy for the state, the chief minister said the vibrant business environment created by the young generation entrepreneurs and experienced Non-Resident Keralites can transform Kerala to a developed state by 2030.
Industry Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty said they will promote all pragmatic ideas and the theme of the state was “Yes We Can” in the context of YES 2015.
