Kerala CM suggests his colleague's resignation

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 31 (UNI) Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today said it would be fair if Public Works minister T U Kuruvila stepped down from the ministry during the course of a judicial inquiry into the land deals involving his family members.

Talking to newspersons here, the Chief Minister said Mr Kuruvila could come back to the cabinet if he was proved innocent in the whole episode.

Mr Achuthanandan's reaction came a day after the ruling Left Democratic Front demanded a judicial inquiry into the deals and asked the Kerala Congress to take an appropriate decision on the fate of their nominee in the Cabinet.

Mr Kuruvila yesterday expressed his willingness to resign from his office after the LDF decision. However, a decision would be taken only at the party's Working Committee to be held on September 2.

The trouble broke out for Mr Kuruvila, after an NRI businessman alleged that the Minister's family members failed to execute a deal for the sale of 50.52 acre of land in Munnar. Mr Kuruvila was allegedly offered the land for the construction of resorts in the emerging tourist destination. Revenue authorities had also found the land transaction by Mr Kuruvila's family members at Rajakumari village, was done ''dubiously'' after tampering with records and violating revenue rules.

UNI