The Hindu : Front Page : Crusade will continue, says Achuthanandan

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Thursday, Jun 22, 2006

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Crusade will continue, says Achuthanandan

Special Correspondent

House passes Motion of Thanks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan said in the Assembly on Wednesday that he would uphold the causes he had raised as the Leader of the Opposition.

The Chief Minister was replying to the three-day debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor for his Address.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the Government would surely take steps to find out the identity of the VIP who had visited the victim of the Kiliroor sex racket and caused much distress to her. All steps would be taken to get the facts from the doctor who had treated her and others concerned.

The family of the victim had visited him and sought help for bringing up her child and ensuring proper investigation of the case. They had complained that the CBI inquiry had not been satisfactory.

The State had lost crores of rupees as the previous Government had failed to collect taxes from online and other lotteries sold in the State. Unauthorised lotteries had cheated the people of Rs.15 lakhs every day. The Government would take steps to recover the tax due to the exchequer.

The Chief Minister recalled that his allegations about encroachment of land by Tata Tea Limited were based on the findings of two Legislature committees. The Government would carry out its duty to detect and restore encroached lands to Government. Government lands in places such as Kovalam and sandalwood and other forests would be protected.

He recalled that after he had raised the irregularities in the auction of softwood allocated to the Grasim Industries following the closure of the factory, the tender could be awarded for Rs.98 lakhs against the initial offer of Rs.22 lakhs. The then Minister K. Sudhakaran had claimed that the softwood, valued at Rs.18 cores, had deteriorated considerably. However, he had found that the timber had been in good condition.

Mr. Sudhakaran (Congress) intervened to say that he would end his public life if corruption charges against him were proved. Mr. Achuthanandan recalled that the UDF Government had withdrawn Vigilance cases against several leaders such as R. Balakrishna Pillai, T. M. Jacob, C. V. Padmarajan and K. Karunakaran and officials. The UDF was now talking of corruption by Public Works Minister P. J. Joseph.

Though he had referred the Kottiyam sex racket case to the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, no action had been taken.

Though the Opposition criticised the CPI(M) for sectionalism, groupism was flourishing in the Congress, he alleged.

He said the police had lathi-charged Youth Congress workers as they had resorted to stone-throwing. However, the Government was advising the police to show restraint.

Steps would be taken to settle the strike in the plantation sector. No benefit promised by the previous Government would be curtailed, the Chief Minister said. He said the Government had asked the Public Service Commission to implement the orders based on the recommendations of the Narendran Commission issued by the previous Government. There were complaints that some communities would suffer in respect of appointments to posts such as Arabic teachers and carpenters. The Government would wait and watch for six months, and if there was a problem, that would be corrected.

After the Chief Minister's reply, the House passed the Motion for 91 votes to 41.

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