Haripad Med. College under Vigilance scanner; Chennithala on the defensive
FollowIn a move that would put the opposition on the defensive ahead of the first full-fledged session of the 14th Kerala Assembly, the government has directed the Vigilance to look into the consultancy contract of the Haripad Medical College, the brainchild of the Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government has already hinted that it would be using the controversial project to target the opposition.
Public Works Minister G Sudhakaran, who has been very vocal in his opposition to the medical college project, directed the vigilance wing under the PWD to investigate into the alleged discrepancies in awarding the consultancy contract. The state vigilance wing is also considering an inquiry into various aspects of the project.
Allegations against Haripad Medical College Project:
- Land allocation violates Kerala Conservation of Paddy and Wetlands Act
- Discrepancies in awarding consultancy contract
- Will put huge burden on state exchequer.
- Another medical college, just 15 kilometres away from Govt. Medical College, Alappuzha is unnecessary
There were allegations that land allocation for the project, the first one to follow Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in the medical education sector in Kerala, was fraught with.
Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, who first raised serious doubts over the project, said that it would put a huge financial burden on the state exchequer. The project will also demand levelling of large tracts of paddy fields and wetland. The government is not ready to bear the burden and will review the proposal, the minister had said.
Following this Health Minister K K Shailaja made the harsher criticism that real estate mafia is behind the project. Minister Sudhakaran said that there was no need for a medical college at Haripad. He also said that the government has handed over the project to the Vigilance Department of public works after Health Minister K K Shailaja alleged involvement of land mafia in the project.
However, Chennithala, who initiated the project during his tenure as Home Minister in the UDF government, refuted the allegations and said that he supported the move as Alappuzha is the only district in the state with just one medical college. There are no irregularities in land allotment or funding. Only Rs. 12.5 crore was spent for land acquisition and a loan was sought from NABARD to establish the project under PPP model. Medical colleges at Idukki, Konni and Wayanad were constructed by availing loan from NABARD, he said.
What Chennithala says:
- No need of reclamation of paddy land.
- Alappuzha is the only district in Kerala with just one Medical College.
- Not much burden on government. Just as in the case of Haripad, NABARD loan had been availed for medical college projects in other districts
- LDF government trying to subvert the project.
Haripad Medical College project, with 26% stake for the state government, was approved by the UDF government in 2011 and was administrative sanction given in August 2012. The construction cost was estimated at Rs 300 crore, and NABARD allowed a loan of Rs 90 crore. It was decided that the government will provide Rs 20 crore and remaining cost would be raised through public issue of shares worth Rs 1000 each. Oommen Chandy, who was the Chief Minister then, laid the foundation stone for the project on 12 May 2015, and the work was scheduled to begin by February 2016.
It is very clear by now that the government and its ministers are indirectly targeting the Leader of the Opposition ahead of the first full session of the 14th Kerala Assembly. Interestingly, Chennithala is alone in his defence, and not many from the Congress leadership have raised their voice in his support so far.
