Builder drags Sonia after Congress fails to pay up

In a huge embarrassment for the Congress High Command, which is yet to come to terms with the recent poll debacles, a construction company from Thiruvananthapuram has dragged party president Sonia Gandhi into a legal tussle over non-payment of dues. 

The builders entrusted with the building of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies (RGID) near Neyyar Dam filed a complaint pointing out that it had not been paid even after the work completed in September 2013 and Sonia Gandhi Sonia Gandhi inaugurated it. Times Now reported that the construction company reportedly sent a legal notice to Sonia Gandhi, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) leadership, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala among others. The company alleged that the Congress owes Rs.2.8 crores for the work. 

Despite many reminders and requests, the Congress leaders did not respond to the builder, the complainant alleged. The Congress leadership in Kerala dismissed the issue as a minor problem and hoped that it could be solved amicably. 

It is learned that the work of the RGID's new building was inaugurated when Ramesh Chennithala was the state Congress chief. Later, he assumed the post of the Home Minister leaving the party post to VM Sudheeran. The party seems to have lost interest in the RGID after it was hurriedly inaugurated in 2013. The RGIDS is concieved as a "non-governmental research organisation" started by the KPCC in memory of the leader. It was inaugurated in October 2005 by Sonia Gandhi and she also opened the new campus at Neyyar Dam in 2013.

Also read:  Virendra Kapoor Column - No Punches Pulled: Sonia knows Vadra need not fear 'justice'

The KPCC president is the Chairman of the institute and has many top leaders of the Congress including Oommen Chandy, VM Sudheeran PJ Kuryan and PP Thankachan on board its executive committee.