THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The District Congress Committee (DCC) has called for an inquiry into the circumstances that caused the Supreme Court to cancel the contract for the construction of the container terminal at Vizhinjam that has resulted in a loss of Rs. 332 crore to the State government.

A press note issued here said the technical capabilities of the company that got the contract and the one that did not, were not evaluated at all.

The fact that the court has termed the legal advice received by the government as being given without adequate discussions, points to the government’s premeditation in committing corruption.

By going in appeal to the Supreme Court, the government has caused a loss worth lakhs of rupees to the exchequer and has sabotaged the project by delaying it. The Minister concerned should take moral responsibility for all this and should resign .

The previous UDF government and the Central government had given their go-ahead for this project by directing that 400 acres be reclaimed from the sea and that local people were not put to trouble on account of the project. In stark contrast to this, the present government aligned itself with land mafias and tried to take over 2,680 acres in the name of industrial activity auxiliary to the construction of the container terminal, It said.

Source : The indu