Kerala LoP Claims CM Vijayan Unilaterally Approved Licence for Controversial Liquor Company
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Synopsis
On January 29, V.D. Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition in Kerala, revealed documents indicating that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made a unilateral decision to grant a brewery licence to Oasis Commercial Private Limited, a firm tied to the Delhi excise scandal, without departmental consultation.
Key Takeaways
- Unilateral Decision: CM Vijayan alone approved the licence.
- Controversial Company: Oasis has connections to the Delhi excise case.
- Environmental Concerns: The Opposition raises issues regarding neglect.
- Political Fallout: Calls for resignation of Cabinet member K. Krishnankutty.
- Future Actions: Opposition plans to address the issue in upcoming Assembly sessions.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 29 (NationPress) The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, unveiled significant documents on Wednesday concerning the issuance of a brewery licence to a controversial company linked to the Delhi excise case.
He claimed that this decision was made solely by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan without any consultation with other departments.
The company in question, Oasis Commercial Private Limited, whose senior executive had previously been incarcerated due to the Delhi Excise policy scandal, received clearance to set up various facilities in the water-scarce district of Palakkad.
These facilities comprise an ethanol plant, a multi-feed distillation unit, an Indian-Made Foreign Liquor bottling facility, a brewery, a malt spirit plant, and a brandy/winery plant at Kanjikode on a 26-acre site acquired two years ago.
LoP Satheesan had previously brought this matter to light in December, stating that he would reveal evidence to prove that this was merely a corrupt deal.
“I am disclosing the Cabinet decision made on January 15, and not a single department was notified or their approval sought. Everyone wants to know why other departments were kept uninformed. Was Oasis Commercial Private Limited the only company considered?”
“Now, Vijayan must explain how much he ‘received’ for this ‘deal’, which the Opposition has been questioning for some time,” Satheesan asserted.
The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), spearheaded by the Congress party, has been outspoken against the licence granted to Oasis, accusing the government of corruption and ignoring environmental issues.
In the meantime, a faction of the Janata Dal (S), a partner in the ruling Vijayan administration whose Cabinet member K. Krishnankutty represents the water-scarce Palakkad district, has requested his resignation for remaining silent during the Cabinet discussions on this issue.
Notably, Krishnankutty was previously at the forefront of protests against the Coco-Cola bottling plant that was established and subsequently closed due to significant opposition in Palakkad years ago.
Satheesan had previously raised this issue during the current Assembly session, but CM Vijayan dismissed it.
However, with the relevant documents now available, the Congress-led Opposition is preparing to address this issue again when the Assembly reconvenes next month.
