Kerala - Alappuzha   

Left leaders involved in more scams: UDF

ALAPPUZHA: The United Democratic Front (UDF) has said that it has details of three more major land scams in which prominent Left leaders are involved.

P.P. Thankachan, convener of the front, told presspersons here on Sunday that the Ponmudi land deal was the latest in a series of such scams revealed since the Left Democratic Front (LDF) came to power.

“The UDF has details of five such scams in which Left leaders are involved. Two of these, involving Mr. Viswom [Forests Minister Benoy Viswom] and T.U. Kuruvilla [who resigned as Public Works Minister following the allegations] had been made public. We will make the other three public as soon as we have more details of them,” Mr. Thankachan said.

He said the Opposition front believed that Mr. Viswom was guilty in the Ponmudi scam, and, hence, should be removed from the Cabinet and an inquiry initiated.

With Indian Space Research Organisations officials allegedly involved in the deal, the Central Bureau of Investigation should conduct the investigation. He said the front was planning to intensify its agitation against the shady deals surrounding the Merchiston Estate in Ponmudi.

A decision on the stir would be taken soon, depending on what Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan would say on the scam on Monday.

“We have asked Ministers under a cloud of suspicion to step down and sought inquiries against them. This will include [Health Minister] P.K. Sreemathy in the Kiliroor scandal.

The Chief Minister, if there is any sincerity in the promises he made on the issue as Leader of the Opposition, should initiate an independent inquiry against Ms. Sreemathy after asking her to resign,” he said.

Mr. Thankachan said the composition of the UDF might change soon.

“No one in the present front will leave us and go to the LDF, but there will be some changes in the UDF structure very soon. That is all I can say at this juncture,” he said.

He said the Opposition front would block roads at 1,200 places across the State on Monday to protest against the dilapidated condition of roads.

The blockade, from 11 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., would only be the beginning of a major agitation against the indifference of the State Government, especially the Public Works Department, towards the public outrage against the poor condition of roads.

With Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac stating that funds for road repairs would be released only after complete accounts for previous works were made available, there was no possibility of the work being done in the near future, Mr. Thankachan said.

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