So far only a note, signed by M G Rajamanickam, Managing Director of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, and addressed to Principal Secretary (Industries) K Elangovan, was issued, stating the MoU had been cancelled.
So far only a note, signed by M G Rajamanickam, Managing Director of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, and addressed to Principal Secretary (Industries) K Elangovan, was issued, stating the MoU had been cancelled.
So far only a note, signed by M G Rajamanickam, Managing Director of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, and addressed to Principal Secretary (Industries) K Elangovan, was issued, stating the MoU had been cancelled.
Thiruvananthapuram: Raising serious doubts over its intent, the Kerala government is yet to issue an order cancelling the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it had executed with the US-based EMCC International, a player in the marine sector.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had announced more than a month ago that the deal would be called off.
So far only a note, signed by M G Rajamanickam, Managing Director of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, and addressed to Principal Secretary (Industries) K Elangovan, was issued, stating the MoU had been cancelled.
The government entered into the Rs 5,000-crore deep-sea fishing deal with EMCC on February 28, 2020, as part of the ASCEND Global Investors’ Meet-2020. Rajamanickam had signed the MoU on behalf of the State, and a government order is required to cancel it.
As the MoU snowballed into a controversy after Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala had exposed it, Minister E P Jayarajan, on February 28, said it will be cancelled. However, no order has been issued so far.
With the government’s dragging of feet becoming public, it issued a press release on Wednesday, reiterating that an order cancelling the MoU was issued on February 26.
The official press release on Wednesday also stated the MoU was cancelled since the EMCC lacked adequate finances and credibility, and its recommendations were against government policies.
The explanation, however, raises the question why those aspects were not looked into before signing the MoU.
Rajamanickam had noted that the MoU was signed based on a decision of the empowered committee. The note lays bare the government claim that it was unaware of the deal.
'Deal smacks of bribery'
"The parent MoU is still in force. It means the government had pledged the fishers to EMCC. The government has not cancelled the original MoU because it plans to implement the deal if it returns to power. Much bribery has taken place behind the scenes," Chennithala alleged.