After legal slap, Congress to settle contractor's dues

The Congress said on Wednesday that it had agreed to pay the outstanding dues of Rs.2.8 crore to a contractor who built the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies here.

The move came after the contractor sent a legal notice to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and on Wednesday approached a lower court here with a petition.

The court has asked that notices be served on Gandhi, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, state Congress president V.M. Sudheeran and leader of the opposition, Ramesh Chennithala.

Despite several requests by Heather Constructions, the Congress reportedly had not made the payment.

"We will settle the outstanding dues at the earliest. There was some confusion on the amount. But now everything will be settled amicably at the earliest," Chennithala told the media.

The Congress is expected to settle the case through an out of court settlement at the earliest to avoid any embarrassment to Sonia Gandhi and the party's state leadership.

The research centre was inaugurated by Sonia Gandhi in 2013. The Congress-led coalition was voted out in Kerala in elections held in May.

--IANS

sg/mr