The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Viswom should quit: KPCC

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Saturday, Sep 15, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Viswom should quit: KPCC

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has reiterated its demand for Forest Minister Benoy Viswom’s resignation. It has sought either a judicial probe or an inquiry by a Central agency into the Merchiston Estate scam.

The KPCC political affairs committee, which met here on Friday, registered its strong resentment over the State Government’s refusal to order a probe.

The committee, which discussed the Merchiston Estate scam and the various strategies to push forward its political initiatives, said in a resolution that the refusal to order a probe was an attempt to whitewash the corruption and irregularities in the deal and to protect those who were involved in it.

Addressing a press conference here, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala said the events had even forced the State Chief Secretary to consider taking voluntary retirement from service.

He said the CPI(M) State secretariat, the CPI, and the Forest Minister himself had demanded a probe into the whole affair. “We would like to know the secret behind the decision not to order a probe,” Mr. Chennithala said.

He said the Forest Minister had prevaricated in his statements on the issue. But the onus was on the Government to clarify why undue haste was shown in clearing the files for the denotification of Merchiston Estate.

He said the Revenue Minister’s involvement in the case should be probed, particularly in relation to the ISRO’s plea for land for its space technology institute and the District Collector’s reply.

The Chief Minister’s remarks against the Chief Secretary and his ministerial colleagues were in bad taste. The Chief Secretary had sought voluntary retirement because she had self-respect. But Mr. Viswom continues to cling to office even after the Chief Minister’s adverse references. Stating that the CPI leadership’s involvement in the affair was becoming clearer, Mr. Chennithala said, “administratively fragile Ministers are ruling the State.”

Mr. Chennithala said the political leadership had failed to take the bureaucracy into confidence and was preventing it from functioning.

Idukki was witness to an agitation by a ruling party seeking the ouster of the District Collector. The KPCC political affairs committee decided to conduct torch-light processions in all the panchayats on Monday demanding the Forest Minister’s resignation.

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