Vizhinjam agreement: Chandy writes to CAG citing lapses in its findings

Thiruvananthapuram: Former chief minister Oommen Chandy Sunday wrote to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), citing the "lapses" in its recent findings as regards the Vizhinjam port project agreement signed by the previous UDF government in the state led by him.

The letter, addressed to CAG Shashi Kant Sharma, claimed that the agreement was signed following all the procedures and meeting all the mandatory criteria.

Pointing out the "lapses" and "mistakes", the Congress leader demanded a scrutiny of the CAG report, which was recently tabled in the state Assembly.

The CAG had, in a report on the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) for the financial year which ended in March 2016, pointed out that Keralas interests had not been protected when the Vizhinjam project agreement was signed.

Chandys letter to the CAG comes weeks after the CPI(M)- led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government ordered a probe by a retired High Court judge on the findings of the audit body, which triggered a political debate in the state.

Chandy had earlier taken "full responsibility" for inking the Rs 7,525-crore multi-purpose seaport project, which had received a push after his government came to power in the state in 2011.