Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling UDF and opposition LDF on Sunday welcomed Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala’s decision to order a Vigilance probe into corruption allegations linked to the KSTP road project and the death of a Malaysian engineer in 2006, when incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was serving as the state’s PWD secretary.
India Union Muslim League (IUML) leader MK Muneer, who was the PWD minister in 2006 when Kumar served as the secretary of the department, said he welcomes the decision to investigate the circumstances leading to the engineer’s death and called for a comprehensive probe into the matter.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan also welcomed the investigation and said all cases against Kumar in Keralam should be examined.
Kumar, a Kerala-cadre IAS officer, had served in various departments in the state before moving to the Centre.
In 2006, a World Bank-funded project worth Rs 215 crore was undertaken by the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) for the reconstruction of the MC Road from Angamaly to Thiruvananthapuram.
PATI-BEL, a joint venture between a Malaysian firm and Bhageeratha Engineering, had undertaken the project.
Its project engineer, Lee See Been, allegedly raised several complaints during the construction work and later returned to Malaysia, where he died by suicide.
He reportedly left behind a detailed suicide note.
Though a Vigilance probe was ordered in 2006, the investigation did not proceed further.
Muneer said the engineer’s death and the contents of the suicide note should have been investigated at that time.
“The incident that led the PATI-BEL engineer associated with KSTP to commit suicide must be subjected to a comprehensive investigation. When that is investigated, all other related matters should also be looked into,” he said.
Muneer said the KSTP project was initiated before he became PWD Minister in 2001 and that the Malaysian companies were shortlisted.
He maintained that the project had been implemented effectively and improved roads in the state.
Referring to allegations of corruption related to PWD works levelled against him by the 2006-2011 LDF government, Muneer said those cases were politically motivated and that he had been exonerated by the Vigilance Court.
He said the court had found that he acted in accordance with the PWD code and manual and dismissed the cases against him.
“If they want to re-investigate matters dismissed by the Vigilance Court, let them investigate me as well,” he said.
However, Muneer said the engineer’s death was a separate and serious matter that required investigation.
“Examining an issue that led to a death carries a double responsibility,” he said, questioning why the LDF government, which had earlier raised allegations against him, did not investigate the engineer’s death despite the reported suicide note.
Responding to reports that the note had alleged demands for bribes to clear project-related matters, Muneer said he did not know why the issue was not investigated at the time.
He said the engineer had been transferred and subsequently left the country, but the contents of the suicide note should have been examined.
Govindan, meanwhile, said all cases involving Kumar should be investigated and appropriate action taken wherever necessary.
“Let them check and investigate all matters, including the cases against Gyanesh Kumar in Keralam,” he said.
He alleged that Kumar had recently been taking positions favourable to the BJP government in the Centre and was unable to adopt an independent stance.
“Whichever cases exist, it is essential that all of them are investigated. Let those cases be investigated. Let appropriate action be taken. There is no reason to stand in the way of that here in Keralam,” Govindan said.
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