Former Congress MLA Anil Akkara on Friday alleged that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had violated Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) regulations in the Wadakkanchery Life Mission housing complex project dealings, which was being handled by UAE Red Crescent.
Akkara alleged the decision that Red Crescent will construct the housing complex in Wadakkanchery and hand it over to the government was taken in a meeting chaired by the CM. He also alleged that the permission of the foreign affairs department, which is required for receiving foreign funds for such purposes, was not sought, as per a response that MP K. Muraleedharan received from the External Affairs department.
Speaking to reporters, Akkara showed a letter allegedly written by the former CEO of Life Mission, U.V. Jose, to then-minister for local self-government’s A.C. Moideen.
He said that the decision by the CM and local self-government minister led to about 4.5 crore rupees being converted to dollars and taken abroad.
Akkara said that the Central government should prosecute CM Vijayan and former minister A.C Moideen and that the CM should resign.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former principal secretary of the CM M. Sivasankar in connection with the Life Mission case.
The CM’s additional private secretary C.M. Raveendran has also been issued a notice by the ED to appear before them in connection with the case.
The Life Mission scam pertains to bribes that were allegedly taken from the builders of the housing project in Wadakkanchery town in Thrissur.
Houses were to be built for 140 families in the region at a cost of Rs 14.50 crore out of the Rs 20 crore granted by the Red Crescent via the UAE consulate.
It has been alleged that a commission of Rs 4.5 crore was given to middlemen including state representatives and government officials. The CBI and the state vigilance commission are currently probing the life mission scam case. M. Sivasankar is an accused in the vigilance case also.
The Life mission project is a flagship housing project of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government. Under the project, housing would be provided for the homeless.
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