Pressure mounts on Vijayan govt for corruption in housing project

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Congress Legislator Anil Akkara from Thrissur district, where the housing project using funds from the UAE charitable organisation is underway, expressed surprise at how the Local Administration Minister A.C. Moideen violated all rules.

"This is a project which is coming up on government land. All wish to know on how a private builder Unitac was given the contract to build this. Moideen has to come clean on this as he has violated the oath of office," said Akkara.

According to Swapna Suresh's own admission, she has told various probe agencies that she had received more than Rs 1 crore as commission for the project and it was this money which was there in her bank locker.

Vijayan, who dismissed all the allegations as baseless when the matter was raised first, is now finding it difficult to defend himself.

The gold smuggling racket was unearthed when P.S. Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, was arrested by the Customs Department on July 5 when he was facilitating smuggling of 30 kg gold in diplomatic baggage to Thiruvananthapuram from Dubai.

The matter has turned murkier as Swapna Suresh's links with Sivasankar surfaced in the public.

The IAS officer Sivasankar was subsequently removed from both posts and then suspended by Vijayan.

( With inputs from IANS )