Kochi, Feb 3 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, on Monday, alleged that the CPI(M)-led government had invited Oasis Commercial Private Ltd, a company operating in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, to set up a brewery plant in the state, flouting all norms.
Addressing a press conference here, Satheesan claimed that Excise Minister M B Rajesh’s statement—that the private company had approached the government on its own—was a "lie".
Minister Rajesh, who was in Kochi, did not respond to the allegations levelled by the Congress leader.
"Minister’s argument contradicts the facts, as evident from the application submitted by the company to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA)," Satheesan said.
The company had applied to KWA in 2023, seeking approval to participate in a tender floated by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for supplying ethanol to oil companies, he added.
"As per Niti Aayog’s direction and the state government’s invitation, we are desirous of setting up a world-class 500 KLPD capacity ethanol plant with an investment of Rs 600-650 crore, to be developed in phases depending on the availability of necessary resources," he quoted the company's statement, in its application.
"This makes it clear that the state government had indeed invited the company, and what Rajesh has been arguing is lies," Satheesan alleged.
The minister should be prepared to release all the letter transactions sent by the state government to this company, he urged, alleging that there is a big conspiracy behind the deal.
He reiterated his allegation that BRS leader K Kavitha, an accused in the Delhi liquor scam and the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, visited Kerala in connection with the approval for a brewery unit in Palakkad.
Kavitha, a former MP, termed Satheesan's allegations as "baseless and defamatory" and said she would be compelled to take legal action if the Congress leader did not retract his "false statements." Satheesan alleged that Kavitha "arrived in Kerala for the Oasis Commercial Private Limited Company." Last month, the state cabinet gave approval for Oasis Commercial Pvt Ltd to start the plant at Kanchikode in Palakkad district, subject to compliance with the existing guidelines and conditions.
The Congress had questioned the permission granted by the state government to Oasis and alleged that there was corruption behind the decision.
The party-ruled Elappully panchayat, where the brewery is proposed to be set up, also came out against the permission granted by the government. PTI ARM SSK ARM SSK ROH