‘Anyone can agree or disagree with V D Satheesan, opposing Punarjani is anti-people’

KOCHI: Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil responded to the government's move to recommend a CBI probe in the Punarjani rehabilitation project. In a Facebook post, he said that opposing a project that keeps people together like Punarjani is anti-people. He added that V D Satheesan was the first to demand an investigation into it.

'Punarjani is not just a housing project, it is a rehabilitation project. It is not only about building more than 200 new houses and repairing more than 100 houses, but also a comprehensive project that provides education for children and providing cows, goats and sewing machines to people without income. You and I can agree or disagree with V D Satheesan, oppose or support it, and continue with it. But opposing a project that keeps people together like Punarjani in the name of that is anti-people,' penned Rahul.

The vigilance recommended a CBI probe into the Punarjani case. The report containing the vigilance recommendation has been handed over to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Vigilance has recommended the CBI to probe the irregularities in the collection of funds from abroad in the name of the Punarjani project. Former director Yogesh Gupta had recommended it a year ago.

The vigilance recommended the need for a CBI investigation, citing violation of the FCRA Act and the violation of the law in collecting funds abroad after obtaining permission from the central government for a private visit and transferring them to an account in Kerala.