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(April 29, Chennai, Sri Lank Guardian) The issue of Union Shipping Minister TR Baalu, misusing his position and power to favour his sons’ firms, is likely to affect the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project as well.
Janata Party president and former Union Minister Dr Subramaniam Swamy is likely to file an ‘interlocutory’ petition with a prayer to extend the stay of dredging Rama Sethu to the entire project itself till certain urgent matters of ‘conflict of interests’ are heard by the court.
This interlocutory petition is likely to be filed when the Centre is making a mention before the Chief Justice for a priority listing for vacating the stay. The petitioners from Rama Sethu protection movement are likely to seek time to file the interlocutory petition.
In his interlocutory application, it is learnt that Dr Swamy has documented how the ship channel project will profoundly benefit Union Shipping Minister’s wife and their sons, as large shares of owners of Meenam Fisheries Limited, as well as, the Tamilnadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s wife Rajathiammal and daughter Kanimozhi as major share holders of Westgate Logistics (P) Limited.
Both companies will directly benefit from the project, because, at present Meenam’s fishing trawlers and motorised boats have to travel from Port Blair to Kakinada for a longer distance around Sri Lanka for sea food exports (about $ 2 million in value annually).
Westgate Logistics’ business will also boom once the project is implemented, because, it’s main business being stevedoring, piloting and customs and freight handling, it is expected to increase with the supposed increase of ship traffic from Tuticorin to Chennai and to Kolkatta.
Swamy has pointed out in his application to the Supreme Court that both Baalu and Kanimozhi have admitted owning shares in these companies in their affidavits filed as candidates in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections respectively.
Earlier, Swamy had also written to the Prime Minister seeking sanction to prosecute Baalu under Section 11 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
He told Jaya TV that he was examining whether to ask the Tamilnadu Governor for sanction to prosecute Karunanidhi for the same reason.
It seems the SSCP ghost might pose a scare at the UPA chairperson Sonia also.
Swamy had said that, he is examining whether the recent contract given for dredging in the SSCP by the Dredging Corporation of India to the Belgian company, ‘Dredger International’ had anything to do with Sonia’s receiving the ‘Belgian King Leopold Golden Cross medal’ and Honorary Citizenship Award.
Officers of the ‘Dredger International’ were in attendance when Sonia went to Brussels to kneel before the King and receive the award.
The Election Commission is still seized of her disqualification petition and yet to pronounce its verdict, after sending her a notice.
It seems the UPA is in deep trouble more than what it would have anticipated in the aftermath of Baalu’s ‘gas’ bid. Difficult times ahead!
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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