THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Once again, the chinks in the armour of the Opposition was exposed by its failure to build up a strong case against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in Titanium scam, providing him with considerable room to unleash an all-out attack during his reply to the adjournment motion in the Assembly on Tuesday. The Opposition was caught unawares when the Chief Minister conceded its demand for discussion on the alleged corruption in the establishment of the effluent treatment plant at the Travancore Titanium Products (TTP) and a live telecast of the proceedings. Apparently, the Opposition had to start on a sticky wicket, despite the fact that it fielded none other than CPM leader Thomas Isaac to speak first in support of the motion. Nullifying any edge the Opposition had the other day in building up a case on TTP through the media, Chandy said that the so-called ‘breaking news’ was meant to depict it as a recent occurrence. Chandy asked the Opposition why it had shown such earnestness in implementing the project if they had found rampant corruption in the project. Citing the need for ‘ugly haste’ in entrusting central PSU MECON to set up the plant, Chandy said the Supreme Court-appointed empowered committee led by G Thyagarajan had ordered closure of the factory by April 26, 2006. It was on April 23 that Chandy had faxed the Empowered committee to stay the order as the government had already initiated steps to set up the plant. He stressed the fact that a joint representation by all trade unions to safeguard the interests of 1250 TTP employees prevailed in his decision. Turning the tables on former Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem, Chandy asked him why he had shown such enthusiasm to implement the project sanctioned by the UDF. Kareem, who took oath of office on May 18, 2006, had convened a meeting of the officers concerned on May 30 and told them that if the effluent treatment plant was not set up the very existence of TTP would be in peril. He had even announced a monthly review of the project. Thomas Isaac claimed that the Pollution Control Board had not cleared the project, but Chandy confronted him with the approval letter from the PCB. He said he would have tabled the related file too had it not been handed over to the Vigilance Department. Lampooning the Deputy Opposition leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for refraining from taking part in the discussion, Chandy said Kodiyeri had failed to come up with a single piece of evidence against him during his term as Home Minister. Kodiyeri and Opposition leader V S Achuhtanandan pointed out that it was the Central Government which rejected the demand for a CBI probe for which they had sought permission twice. Kodiyeri also attempted to corner Chandy by owning up his failure to order a CBI probe and asking Chandy to order the probe instead. But this did not succeed as Chandy immediately realised the trap and said he scarcely wanted to bear the LDF’s burden. He pointed out that the LDF Government had not issued a notification, a pre-requisite for seeking CBI probe. In its haste to trap Chandy, the Opposition failed to drive home the following facts: that MECON had a history of giving sub-contracts to multinational companies eyeing commission; that the same sin was detected in the expansion projects of KMML, Chavara, was proven. Isaac himself forgot to press forth with his question whether the TTP’s chartered accountant had cleared the cost estimates for the project. And, in a seemingly cowardly act, the Opposition walked out at the end of the discussion prompting the CM to say that they are walking out in shame.
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