Kannur: The district leadership of the CPM here has come out with an explanation on the recent action against some local leaders in Payyannur over the utilization of party funds. According to the district leaders, no party fund was lost. “What had happened was that the local leaders in charge of the funds had failed conduct a proper audit regarding the income and expenses and present it before the Payyannur area committee,” they said.
“A check by the district leaders did not find diversion of funds. Moreover, no local leader had gained illegal benefits,” said the district leadership.
According to the CPM, the party took action against T I Madhusoodanan, MLA, and some others for their failure to audit the funds related to building construction and the money collected for the family of Dhanraj - a martyr for the party - and present audited accounts before the area committee.
Meanwhile, the party had removed Payyannur area secretary V Kunhikrishnan also from his post, which attracted the ire of many members. Incidentally, it was Kunhikrishnan who had pointed out that money collected for constructing a building and supporting the family of Dhanraj was missing. In its explanation over this decision, CPM district leaders denied that Kunhikrishnan was shifted as a disciplinary measure. “The move is aimed at solving the disunity in the Payyannur area committee,” said the district leaders.
The district leadership claimed that the party took action after a detailed internal probe. “CPM’s money is safe. The funds collected were utilized for constructing the AKG Bhavan for Payyannur area committee in 2017 and providing aid to the family of Dhanraj. A house was also built for Dhanraj’s family and some money was utilized for legal procedures,” the district leaders said.
The CPM demoted Madhusoodanan from the district secretariat to the district committee and T Viswanathan from the area committee to the local committee. Two others – K K Gangadharan and K P Madhu – were censured.
