Congress raises fresh corruption charge against Left government in poll-bound Kerala

Kannur, Apr 02: With just three days remaining for the Assembly polls in Kerala, opposition Congress on Friday came up with a fresh corruption charge against the Left government in the state over its purchase of power from corporate major Adani group even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the allegation.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the LDF government had signed an agreement with the private group to purchase power at a higher price which involved corruption.

Giving details of the agreement, he charged that the agreement was to buy 300 MW of power from Adani at a higher price and the Left government had colluded with the BJP government at the Centre for the "corrupt deal".

To purchase Rs 8850 crore worth power, a 25-year-long contract was signed with the Adani group, through which the corporate major could make a profit of over Rs 1,000 crore, the Congress leader further claimed.

"Through the contract, a huge burden is imposed on people. Both the state and union governments are equally responsible for the deal," he said. At present, solar power is available at two rupees. Then why a pact was signed with the private group to buy power at the rate of Rs 2.82 per unit, Chennithala asked.

"Thus, the common man has to pay Rs one extra for each unit for 25 years. This will help Adani reap a profit of Rs 1,000 crore," he told reporters in Alappuzha. The agreements signed by the state Electricity Board with the Centre's Solar Energy Corporation Limited (SECL) in June and September of 2019, had paved the way for Adani's business deal in the state, the opposition leader added.

Rejecting the charges, Vijayan, however, told reporters in Kannur that Chennithala was "jealous" of the five years under the LDF government when there had been no load- shedding. "That's why he is now trying to tarnish the deals of the state Electricity Board," the Chief Minister added.