BJP seeks central probe into alleged corruption in corporation
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday said the party has sent letters to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, demanding a detailed inquiry into what it alleges is large-scale corruption and financial irregularities in the CPM-led Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Chandrasekhar said the CPM, which has governed the corporation for the past 10 years, spent nearly `20,000 crore in the name of development, yet the city continues to struggle with basic civic issues. Despite spending such a massive amount, Thiruvananthapuram still suffers from unresolved waste management, sewage and drainage failures, streetlight issues, and poor road conditions. There is no doubt that corruption is the reason, he said. He added that the corporation received around Rs 1,000 crore from the Union government over the last five years, but there is little visible progress. The party has requested a comprehensive central agency investigation into these alleged irregularities. The complaint lists several concerns, including the purchase of 50 electric vehicles for waste management, alleged corruption in procuring 1,629 laptops for children in the coastal fishing community between 2018 and 2024, the spending of `2.24 crore under the pretext of addressing the stray dog issue, d suspected irregularities in the Rs 1,000-crore Smart City project. Chandrasekhar also made an open appeal to the chief minister, urging him to address the larger issues facing the state. He said the chief minister must speak openly about the development stagnation, corruption in local bodies, unemployment, price rise, and the overall financial mismanagement that is affecting ordinary citizens. This corruption carried out in the name of development cannot be allowed to continue, he said. Senior BJP leader S Suresh said the party would ensure accountability. We will ensure action against the Marxist leadership that looted the Thiruvananthapuram corporation. From V Sivankutty to Arya Rajendran, it has been a continuous chain of CPM mayors engaged in corruption in the city. We are expecting the Union government to initiate a probe into these financial irregularities, Suresh said.
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