Chandy pits his mega projects against scams in Kerala

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Sunday flaunted the Kochi Smart City project, Kochi Metro, mono rail projects at Kozhikode and in the capital city, and the Kannur airport as some of the infrastructure projects started in his tenure.

The chief minister, facing flak after members of his personal staff and cabinet were found to be closely involved with two women accused of fraud, said many infrastructure projects that had stayed on the drawing board for long years have now taken off, including for the Vizhinjam Port.

"But the Left opposition is just interested in kicking up a ruckus. It plays petty politics and is not even really interested in identifying the real culprits involved in the scam. We will identify the culprits, come what may," Chandy said, speaking to IANS as he took a whirlwind customary weekly tour of his Puthupally constituency.

Chandy said that the Rs.5,000 crore Smart City IT project has begun.

"The final approval for the Kannur airport is expected on Monday or Tuesday, while the work for the Kochi Metro is going on in full steam. For the mono rail projects too, things are fast progressing. And don't forget that it was in the week that just went by that many things happened. But it appears like everything is just about a phone call list and the solar scam," Chandy said.

The "solar scam" relates to huge sums of money collected by a woman called Saritha Nair and her live-in partner, Biju Radhakrishnan, on the promise of installing solar panels. When the people who paid up for the panels found these were not being installed, large numbers of complaints were made to police.

The couple was arrested, and a prominent TV actress, Shalu Menon, who had lent her car and mobile phone to Biju Radhakrishnan, was also arrested in this connection.

Saritha Nair was found to have an easy access to members of Chandy's personal staff, and details of telephone calls showed that the fraudsters had contacted even ministers.

Chandy recalled that only a few months ago, his government had been embroiled in controversy because of another woman -- Yamini Thankachy -- estranged wife of former state minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, whose domestic troubles became contentious political issues.

On the probe into the solar scam, the chief minister said: "The investigating team is doing a fine job. No one who has played dirty will walk away, and no one who is innocent will be taken to task."

Chandy said that once the infrastructure projects were on track, he would see to it that rising prices were curbed.

"Onam is fast approaching, and we have begun the process of effective market intervention. The first step has been done by clearing the outstanding dues of those who had supplied paddy. The state-run agencies also have been pumped with money to see that they make the purchases to keep down spiralling prices, as happens during the Onam season." he said.

Onam, the 10-day rice harvest festival of the state is observed according to a traditional calendar. This year, it falls in September.