Kerala - Kochi   

Petition seeks to implead PAG in SNC case

Staff Reporter

High CourtRound-up

Kochi: A petition seeking to implead the Principal Accountant General (Audit), Kerala, as additional respondent in the pending writ petition relating to the SNC Lavalin deal was filed on Monday before the Kerala High Court.

The writ filed by T.P. Nandakumar, Chief Editor, Crime, sought a CBI probe into the award of contract for modernisation of the Pallivasal, Sengulam and Panniyar hydro-electric projects and extension work of the Kuttiyadi Irrigation Project, to the Canada-based company, SNC Lavalin.

Meanwhile, the petitioner countered the arguments of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) made in the counter-affidavit filed in response to the writ petition.

The petitioner in his reply said the affidavit had touched upon only the technical aspects regarding the necessity to repair the machinery in these projects.

The writ petition had raised the issue of the illegal and culpable action of the board in purchasing the machinery.

That point had not been mentioned in the affidavit.

But the affidavit conceded that no global tender had been invited.

n the guise of effecting repairs, the board could not be permitted to flout all norms. The Chairman of the Board had not explained why the delegation, which visited Canada, had chosen to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the company, instead of inviting global tenders.

In fact, the Accountant General of the State had found that the board had lost 374.5 crores in the deal. The report of the Accountant General was, therefore, necessary.

The records available with the Accountant General would show that the stand of the Board was false.

Pig farmers' plea

The Pig Farmers Association has approached the High Court seeking to restrain the Government from taking steps to close down the Kerala Livestock Development Board's pig breeding centre at Kainoor in Thrissur district. According to the petitioner, an action council had started agitation against the centre on grounds of causing pollution in the area. Political parties had also supported the agitation in view of the forthcoming assembly elections.

The Chief Minister had reportedly assured the action council that the centre would be closed.

The petitioner pointed out that if it were closed down, it would affect the pig farmers who were dependent on the centre. The centre was functioning in hygienic conditions.

The petitioner contended that the centre could not be closed without conducting proper studies on the issue.

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