Thiruvananthapuram
The ties between the LDF government and the Centre has reached a new flashpoint, with the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet deciding to institute a judicial inquiry against the central agencies.
The cabinet decided to appoint retired high court judge KV Mohanan as a one-man commission. The panel will examine if the inquiries by various central agencies into the affairs of the state government and its departments are deviating from the desired path.
Things had come to a head when central IT commissioner Manjit Singh engaged in a verbal duel with KIIFB chief executive KM Abraham over the IT raid at the KIIFB offices on Thursday. CM Pinarayi Vijayan and FM Thomas Isaac joined the issue with the central agency, with the former saying if the Centre’s idea is to discredit the state govt, only the Centre will get discredited.
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Thomas Isaac went to the extent of describing the IT dept action as ‘rowdyism’. Isaac dubbed the IT raid an election ploy. The IT raid at the KIIFB office continued for 8 hours and was called off after unseemly scenes were witnessed, with both sides sparring over the action.
The LDF govt and the ruling CPI-M are vehemently opposing the action by the central agencies, first targeting the Life mission housing project and later KIIFB, the controversial state govt agency responsible for raising funds and executing infrastructure projects. The dispute between the IT dept and KIIFB is about the tax liability of contractors undertaking projects with KIIFB funding. KIIFB allocates funds to various firms formed under various depts, which in turn award the contract to third parties.
