KOTTAYAM: Kerala Congress(J) leader P.J. Joseph today sought an explanation from Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on the issue of the Lok Ayukta finding prima facie evidence of impropriety in the tendering of the proposed revenue tower at Thodupuzha, giving a new twist to the whole issue. Already more than one Minister in the Cabinet had chose to stand down in similar circumstances, Mr. Joseph said and added that since the Revenue Minister had owned up the allegations (through the media), now it was now up to the Chief Minister to come clean, he said.

Based on the findings of the Lok Ayukta, Mr. Joseph had earlier asked Mr. Mani to keep off election campaign. What would have ended as a poll time allegation, took a new turn on Sunday when Mr. Mani chose to reply to through counter-allegations that Mr. Joseph was only continuing with his `shadow boxing,' which he had been doing for the past one decade over the revenue tower issue. Mr. Joseph was trying to scuttle the project as it was initiated by him (Mr. Mani), he maintained and stoutly denied any impropriety in the tendering of the project.

The issue has now become a full-blown spat, as Mr. Joseph on Monday brought the Chief Minister into the picture. According to him, Thodupuzha already has a Civil Station, which houses more than 50 Government offices. Over a dozen Government offices are functioning in Government complexes. Only 12 or 13 offices at present function in rented buildings, he pointed out. According to Mr. Joseph, the project report for the proposed tower had grossly misrepresented the facts. Moreover, the Finance Department had sanctioned Rs.10.55 crores for the whole project while the tender shows that the above amount was being spent on civil work alone. The original project was for Rs.17.12 crores, which was struck down by the Finance Department, Mr. Joseph pointed out.

Under the project, the amount earmarked for the civil work was on Rs.6.46 crores, Mr Joseph alleged and pointed out that this would mean a whopping 59 per escalation in expenses. If the project were allowed to go ahead, it would result in over Rs.20 crores expenditure.

He also maintained that this was a huge waste of money as the remaining Government offices in Thodupuzha could be housed if an annex was constructed at the Mini Civil Station complex. Already a Rs.2-crore project was before the Government in this regard, he said.

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