ADB agreement: Cong for sacking two Ministers

Thiruvananthauram, Jan 12 (UNI) The Congress in Kerala today asked the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front to sack the two ministers who had ''violated the Constitution'' and not followed the ''actual procedures'' while signing the agreement with the Asian Development Bank 'without the knowledge' of State Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and the Cabinet.

''The two ministers, who were openly critisiced by CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, for violation of procedures in the project agreement between the ADB and the Kerala Government, have no moral right to be in office,'' Congress spokesman M M Hassan told newspersons here.

Mr Hassan said the agreement signed 'without the knowledge of the Chief Minister and the Cabinet' only raised doubts and added it was a violation of the cabinet system.

Mr Karat's open statement against the ministers showed they were not competent to address the problems of the state, he said without naming them.

''If the state loses the ADB loan due to this controversy, then the LDF owes an explanation to the people,'' he added.

Mr Karat had yesterday said at a press conference here the LDF Government had not followed the actual procedures while signing the agreement with the ADB for urban development.

It was a violation of procedures, he said and supported Mr Achutanandan for his statement that he was unaware of the signing.

He had also criticised Mr Achuthanandan, Finance Minister Thomas Issac and Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty for making a controversy out of the ADB Loan.

While Mr Achutanandan had stressed that he was not aware of the agreement and that it was not discussed by the Cabinet, the two Ministers had countered saying the Chief Minister was aware of the whole episode.

UNI