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Kerala’s ruling CPI(M) and the opposition on Sunday continued to commerce barbs over the draft CAG report on Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), with Finance Minister Thomas Isaac terming the unpublished doc as “absurd” and senior Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala alleging corruption in among the board-funded authorities initiatives. Attacking CAG over the draft report, which mentioned KIIFB was elevating loans “unconstitutionally,” Isaac, who can also be a senior CPI(M) chief alleged that this was for the primary time for the reason that formation of the board in 1999, the federal government auditor is saying that taking mortgage by means of KIIFB is towards the rules of the Constitution.
With a number of initiatives of the state authorities, together with KFONE, coming beneath the scanner of the central companies, together with the Enforcement Directorate, following the probe into the Kerala gold smuggling case, the CPI(M) sees pink within the draft CAG report, prompting Isaac to forged doubts over its intention. He alleged that sure contents of the draft report have been “politically motivated”.
“It is nothing but absurdity that is featured in the (CAG) report,” Isaac instructed reporters right here. He mentioned the “absurdity” within the report shall be mentioned within the public.
The minister mentioned the state Finance Department is getting ready an in depth reply that runs to over 100 pages for offering to the Comptroller and Audit General(CAG). He rejected allegations levelled by the Leader of Opposition within the Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala that there was corruption in among the authorities initiatives utilising the KIIFB fund.
Describing as “baseless” the Congress chief’s cost, Isaac mentioned he didn’t present the main points of the alleged corruption and the folks allegedly concerned in it. “There are KIIFB projects in the constituency of the Leader of Opposition. Is there any corruption in such projects?”, he requested.
Chennithala charged the Finance Minister with attempting to divert folks’s consideration from the gold smuggling case and the case towards son of CPI(M) chief Kodiyeri Balakrishnan by raking up pointless points. He additionally alleged corruption in among the KIIFB funded initiatives within the state.
The Finance Minister mentioned the LDF authorities had taken mortgage from the KIIFB quickly after it was fashioned in 1999. The Congress-led UDF authorities had additionally availed mortgage from KIIFB throughout their tenure within the years 2002 and 2003.
“Then no one had said it was anti-constitutional,” he mentioned. Responding to BJP state chief Ok Surendran’s allegations that Kerala gold smuggling had hyperlinks with many initiatives state authorities utilising funds from the KIIFB, Isaac additionally mentioned Kerala won’t give up to the BJP’s “bugbear”.
Accusing the BJP of ‘utilizing’ central companies just like the ED for political functions, Isaac alleged that the saffron get together is pondering that the constitutional physique like CAG will also be used the identical manner. “That will not work here”, he mentioned.
Earlier, speaking to reporters in Kozhikode, Surendran alleged that the KIIFB initiatives weren’t clear and sought an in depth probe into the corruption within the undertaking based mostly on the findings of the CAG. Addressing media in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, Isaac had dismissed the findings, saying that the state authorities won’t enable the Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) to destroy KIIFB, the first company of the state authorities for financing giant and significant infrastructure initiatives within the state.
Pointing out that KIIFB was a company physique and like some other such establishments, he had mentioned it had the proper to boost loans as per the present guidelines. Corporate our bodies of the central authorities have additionally availed such loans, he had claimed.
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