The Kerala government will soon order a judicial probe into the Vizhinjam port deal on the basis of the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India that cited faults in the project, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
"There are severe criticism in the CAG report. That will have to be studied seriously and subjected to examination. The government is planning to conduct the judicial probe headed by a High Court judge," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in Alappuzha on Sunday.
The Kerala CM said that the CPM and LDF had a clear picture and stand on Vizhinjam project when the UDF government signed the agreement. "The LDF government was forced to go ahead with the Vizhinjam project, which was a burden for the LDF, as it was the legal responsibility of the state government to continue the project,'" said Vijayan, reported the Times of India.
The CAG, in its report tabled in the House a week ago, had said the concession agreement of the Vizhinjam seaport project had several conditions that went against the interests of the State government, but were advantageous to Adani Ports and SEZ Private Limited.
The CAG report also said that by allowing ten years extra concession period the Concessionaire - Adani Group would be benefitted an additional revenue of Rs 29,217 crore. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who took the lead in signing the agreement with the Adanis, said that allowing ten years extension period to the Adani Group was as per the Model Concession Agreement stipulated by the Planning Commission of India.