Major government projects in Kerala under ED probe

Various major infrastructure projects of Kerala government are learnt to be under the scanner of Enforcement Directorate as part of the probe against Chief Minister's former principal secretary M Sivasankar.

There are reports that ED has already sent a letter to Kerala government seeking details of four major projects. However, government sources preferred to be tight-lipped.

Kerala Fibre Optic Network, a Rs. 1,500 crore project aimed at last-mile fibre connectivity and free high-speed internet to 20 lakh economically weak families, Rs. 4,500 crore e-mobility project that aims at rolling out 10 lakh electric vehicles by 2022, DownTown IT/ITES infrastructure and township project attached to Technopark Phase-III campus in Thiruvananthapuram and development of the SmartCity Kochi were learnt to be under ED scanner owing to direct involvement of Sivasankar in these projects.

ED is also learnt to have collected details of Sivasankar's assets. Sivasankar, who was arrested by the ED last week, is now in ED's custody and being quizzed in Kochi.

Opposition parties Congress and BJP alleged that Sivasankar could be just a benami and hence a detailed probe into the wealth of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan is required.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, who inaugurated a demonstration demanding the Chief Minister's resignation, alleged that the Chief Minister's Office had emerged as a benami of smugglers. BJP state president K Surendran who inaugurated a statewide 'standing stir' against the government said that the government is just aiming at commission and bribe from all major projects.