Procedures flouted in ADB deal: Karat

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday bailed out beleaguered Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan on the contentious Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan issue, reports Ramesh Babu.

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday bailed out beleaguered Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan on the contentious Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan issue. Agreeing with the chief minister, he said procedures were not followed in signing the Rs 34.05 billion loan deal in Delhi on December 8.

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But, he also criticised Achuthanandan and his ministerial colleagues for going public with their criticism of the way the deal was handled. Talking to newsmen after the state secretariat meeting, Karat said corrective steps have been taken to ensure better understanding between the government and the party.

“After intense discussion, the party secretariat has come to the conclusion that procedures were not followed while signing the final agreement. The manner in which it was signed was wrong as there were many procedural violations,” he said, adding that the cabinet and Left Democratic Front would discuss it again before giving final clearance.

“The party will explain to the people all modifications carried out in the agreement, which was finalised during the last UDF regime,” he added.

The rival camps in the state CPM — led by the chief minister and his arch rival, party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan — have had several bouts of public sparring over the ADB deal issue.

The chief minister has all along maintained that he was kept in the dark about the deal. Pinarayi had contradicted him recently, saying the agreement was discussed in the party and government and the chief minister was a party to it.

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