New Delhi, Thursday, January 22, 2009: The available CPM Polit buro that met today morning in New Delhi in the wake of Pinarayi Vijayan being framed in the sensational Rs 300-crore SNC-Lavalin scam, has summoned Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan to New Delhi immediately. Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan is expected to reach New Delhi today evening.

Yesterday, the CBI had submitted the confidential report naming twelve accused list to a Special Court and the High Court. Apparently the CBI though has not named Pinarayi Vijayan, the report hints the involvement of a former Minister in the multi crore scam The CBI has also sought the Governor and the Chief Secretary’s sanction to prosecute those allegedly involved in the case.

The Lavlin case is related to the award of Rs 370 crore contract in 1995 to renovate three hydropower houses to the Canadian company S N C Lavlin.

The CAG in 2005 revealed gross irregularities in the award and said the work executed by the company was far from satisfactory.

The most significant revelation was that the Canadian company had not carried out the offer it said to have made to the state government in return for receiving the contract. The offer was to arrange a grant of about Rs 100 crore from the Canadian International Development Agency as part of its social assistance project for a super specialty cancer hospital -Malabar Cancer Centre- set up by the government.

Though the original contract was awarded by the United Development Front government most of the serious lapses pointed out by the CAG had occurred during the tenure of the subsequent LDF government when Vijayan was power minister.

Earlier a state vigilance department inquiry instituted by the last UDF government did not find any wrongdoings from Vijayan. Last year the CBI took up the investigation on the directive of the state high court following a few Public Interest Litigation appeals requesting for the probe by the central agency.