Punarjani Scheme: Kerala CM Orders Vigilance Probe Against Oppn Leader VD Satheesan

The inquiry was ordered after verifying the veracity of the claims made in the complaint, sources said.  

During the launch of the scheme, Satheesan had said that the state government did not launch any need assessment after the floods so they came up with the Punarjani project.

Source : File photo

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ordered a Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (DVAC) probe against Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan for collecting money from people living aboard for constructing homes for poor people of his constituency after the 2018 floods. The action was reportedly initiated based on the complaint that Satheesan violated Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). 

According to PTI, the complaint filed by an action council stating that foreign money were received in violation of the FCRA served as the basis for the order on the preliminary vigilance investigation.

The inquiry was ordered after verifying the veracity of the claims made in the complaint, sources said.  

The complaint sought to investigate the FCRA violations and Satheesan's foreign trips seeking support for the project, said the report.

After the floods in 2018, Satheesan reportedly started a project 'Punarjani' for constructing homes for those who lost their houses in the deluge. 

However, Satheesan's office said that the leader has already responded in the past and he will once again respond on Saturday. 

Congress leader Satheesan recently criticised CPM’s "Deshabhimani". He said that the party's mouthpiece was a "yellow paper" since it was coming out with baseless reports, especially about a non-existent allegation that has been cleared a few times before.

Satheesan, as per IANS, said, "First the allegation (collecting money from abroad) was cleared by Vijayan's Vigilance department, then the single and division bench of the Kerala High Court cleared it and if that was not enough, a probe by the Speaker just before the 2021 Assembly polls also cleared him."

During the launch of the scheme, Satheesan had said that the state government did not launch any need assessment after the floods so they came up with the Punarjani project.