VACB TO LOOK INTO LIFE MISSION ALLEGATIONS

The Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) has decided to conduct a probe into the allegations connected with the Life Mission Project in Wadakancherry under which 140 apartments are being constructed.

The main allegations include a commission of `1 crore pocketed by Swapna Suresh, one of the key accused in gold smuggling case from Unitac, the agency which is executing the project . Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac had also made a statement that the commission amount was around `4.5 crore which triggered a major controversy in the state.

The Opposition and ruling fronts have been engaged in allegations and counter allegations over the issue for the past one month. As the allegations created doubts over the LDF government’s flagship programme Life Mission, the ruling front was keen to come clean on the charges.

When asked about the vigilance probe at a press conference, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said allegations had been raised regarding commission from `20 crore given for the project. “The vigilance has ordered a preliminary probe to examine whether there is any violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act,” he said.