Titanium scam haunts Chandy again

Kerala chief minister Oomen Chandy once again finds himself at the centre of the Rs250-crore waste treatment plant controversy of the Travancore Titanium Products Limited (TTPL).

Two letters he wrote in April 2005 have surfaced in which he as the then CM, urged for extension of time for carrying out the required measures to combat pollution at TTPL. He had assured that there would be no slippages in execution of the project. A case pertaining to the matter is already in the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court.

The letters that are now in circulation following the telecast by a private TV channel yesterday point to the undue haste with which Chandy implemented the project even before it had been cleared by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).

Meanwhile, the Kerala Assembly today took up for discussion an Opposition motion raising serious corruption charges against Chandy.

Starting the discussion, which had been sought by opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF), T M Thomas Isaac (CPI-M) accused Chandy of having influenced, in his capacity as chief minister during 2005-'06, the decision relating to installation of effluent treatment facilities at the government-owned Travancore Titanium Products (TTP) Limited. His intervention allegedly led to a steep rise in cost of the project from Rs10 crore to Rs256 crore. The deal left the state poorer by Rs100 crore, he alleged and demanded the chief minister's resignation.

Earlier, when Isaac sought leave for moving an adjournment motion on the issue during zero hour, Chandy readily agreed to discuss the matter.