Date:05/07/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/07/05/stories/2002070507380300.htm

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Differences in traders' body come to fore

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JULY 4. The decision of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithy State president, T. Nazirudeen, to suspend the Thiruvananthapuram district president, Peringamala Ramachandran, the general secretary, Y. Vijayan, and B. Joshi Basu, from the samithy for six months has brought the simmering differences of opinion in the samithy to the fore.

Mr. Ramachandran and others who have received the suspension memo have decided not to initiate legal action and resolved to fight the issue within the organisation itself. Mr. Nazirudeen has initiated disciplinary action for allegedly violating the decisions and directives of the organisation.

The memo says a vigilance inquiry is on into the charges of misuse of funds collected for the victims of Kargil war and Gujarat earthquake victims. Since charges have been levelled against them, the president has decided to take disciplinary action. The memo says that the funds collected have not been handed over to the State committee on time. They had also said that the State committee could not examine the accounts of the district committee. This was against the discipline of the organisation, the memo says.

According to Mr. Ramachandran, the disciplinary action is nothing but the State leadership's reaction to the no-confidence motion moved by members of the six districts, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasaragod, against the State leadership. When the Government allotted a medical college to the samithy, there was a move to make it the personal property of the State president, Mr. Ramachandran alleged.

Mr. Nazirudeen brought land for the medical college in his name. The Vyapara Bhavans in the State have been pledged to avail of a Rs.110-crore loan from a French company. This has also been questioned. He described the allegations as baseless. A sum of Rs. 2,52,680 was collected for Kargil fund of which Rs. 1 lakh was handed over to the State committee and rest donated to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. Similarly, Rs. 2.44 lakhs was collected for Gujarat quake victims relief fund. This was handed over in two installments. Mr. Ramachandran claimed to have all the documents regarding the transfer of funds.

The State executive has 90 and general council, 280 members. The executive meets once in two months and the general council once in three months. Mr. Ramachandran alleged that the general council has not met for the past six months since the no-confidence motion has been moved against Mr. Nazirudeen. He claimed to enjoy the majority of 145 members in the six districts. There was also a move to reduce the representation of Thiruvananthapuram in the council. The general council and executive would reject the disciplinary action, he said.