Kerala - Kottayam   

Mani denies charges levelled against him

Staff Reporter

Says they are baseless and politically motivated

KOTTAYAM: Kerala Congress(M) leader K.M. Mani, who is facing a Vigilance inquiry, has said that the charges against him are baseless and politically motivated.

Speaking to presspersons here on Friday, the KC(M) leader said he would file a defamation suite against George C. Kappan and others who had filed a petition against him before the Home Minister in this regard.

Probe follows petition

The Vigilance inquiry ordered a month ago was based on the petition, which alleged that huge amounts had been collected in the name of Kerala State Cooperative Tyre Factory (Palazhy Tyres), of which Mr. Mani was the chairman.

So far, the factory had not commenced production, nor was the amount returned to the people from whom the money was collected, according to the petition.

According to Mr. Mani, the company had collected Rs.3.03 crore as share capital and another Rs.5.10 lakh from non-resident Malayalis.

In addition, the company had collected Rs.80.45 lakh as term deposits from cooperative bodies and individuals.

The company had already purchased 37 acres of land (a rubber plantation) in Meenachil taluk for setting up the factory.

Against this, the petition alleged that he had collected over Rs.105 crore from non-resident Malayalis, which was baseless. According to him, the original plan for manufacture of tyre was dropped in view of the sudden changes in the rubber market the world over.

The project was later amended to one for manufacturing of non-tyre rubber goods and again to a crumb rubber unit.

However, the crumb rubber unit could not take off on account of politically motivated strikes and agitations spearheaded by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions.

``On the one hand, they allege that we are not starting our factory, but on the other, they won't allow us to proceed,'' he said.

`Not corruption'

While it was true that the project could not take off, it was wrong to dub it as an instance of corruption and use it to personally malign him, Mr. Mani said.

He hoped the Vigilance inquiry would bring out the truth behind the allegations.

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Mani denies charges levelled against him

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