Published Feb 14, 2024 | 10:02 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 14, 2024 | 10:02 AM
Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan (Photo: MLA's website)
Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on Tuesday, 13 February, alleged that the money paid by a Kochi-based mineral company to Kerala chief minister’s daughter and her firm was to get Pinarayi Vijayan’s approval for some sand-mining leases, which were on hold since 2004.
The fresh allegations by the MLA from Muvattupuzha against the chief minister were denied by state Industries Minister P Rajeeve who said that the leases were initially granted when the AK Antony government was in power.
Rajeeve, speaking to reporters in the evening, said that the process to grant the leases began in 2002 during the Antony government and therefore, Kuzhalnadan should ask his party’s veteran leader about the same.
Kuzhalnadan, earlier in the day, claimed that the leases granted to Kochi-based CMRL’s sister concern in 2004 were stayed in the same year.
Thereafter, the company had gone in appeal to the mines tribunal which ruled in its favor and asked the state government to reconsider its decision, he said.
As the state government again declined to grant the leases, the company opted for litigation and from the Kerala High Court to the Supreme Court, everywhere the orders were in its favour, the MLA said.
But the apex court, while ruling in favour of CMRL, said the state government can reclaim the leased land by issuing a notification, he said.
Also Read: Kerala HC asks State-run KSIDC to prove it sought KMRL‘s explanation over transactions with Veena Vijayan’s firm
Kuzhalnadan said that such a notification was not issued and a few months after the first Vijayan government came to power in 2016, his daughter started receiving money from the private company.
Minister P Rajeeve. (X)
Even after the central government in 2019 ordered scrapping of all such leases given to private companies, Vijayan still tried to find ways to grant the same to the private company, the MLA alleged.
Refuting the allegations, Rajeeve said that it was the Left government, which had for the first time rejected the leases after the mines tribunal directed reconsidering the same.
He said it was the then UDF government in 2002, which set the ball rolling for the grant of the leases and therefore, the allegations by Kuzhalnadan are going to hit his own party leaders and not the chief minister.
Also Read: Importance of being Mathew Kuzhalnadan — and repercussions of targeting CPI(M)’s ‘first family’
Last year, a Malayalam daily reported that CMRL had paid a total of ₹1.72 crore to Vijayan’s daughter Veena between 2017 and 2020.
The news report cited the ruling of an interim board for settlement and said that CMRL previously had an agreement with Veena’s IT firm for consultancy and software support services.
It alleged that though no service was rendered by her firm, the amount was paid on a monthly basis “due to her relationship with a prominent person”.
This year, another report cited findings by the Registrar of Companies (ROC) against Veena’s firm.
Referring to the ROC report, the Congress-led UDF opposition had accused Veena’s firm of having committed the offence of receiving money using false documents and without providing services.
The case is now being probed the Serious Fraud Investigation Office under the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
