Alappuzha, Thursday, July 21, 2011: Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan’s daughter Dr. Asha is planning to go for legal action against the media for giving false reports against her.

Asha had earlier run into controversy with media reports stating that awarding of the academic project involved irregularities and nepotism. The Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) had sanctioned Rs 30 lakh research grant to Asha, a scientist with Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnolgy

Reports in local media said that the fund had been approved by Kerala Biotechnology Mission, a wing of KSCSTE, headed by Achuthanandan. The project was not properly evaluated and the fund was approved to Asha only to please Achuthanandan, the reports said.

Meanwhile, Asha rejected the charge that the grant involved any sort of irregularity since she was only a co- investigator in the project on Marine Bio-Technology which has three other scientists as the team members.