Tuesday, August 23, 2011: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) would hold protest march in the 140 Assembly constituencies today demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in connection with the Palmolein import scam of 1992. Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan and CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan would inaugurate the campaign here today, party sources said. LDF would also hold a Secretariat march here.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had relinquished the vigilance portfolio on Tuesday and Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan was given the additional charge of Vigilance portfolio.
Chandy was the Finance Minister during the period when Palmolein, an edible oil, was imported from Malaysia. A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found that the deal caused a loss of Rs. 2.32 crore to the exchequer.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau filed the chargesheet in the case in 2003 in which the then Chief Minister, the late K Karunakaran, was the prime accused.
Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) P J Thomas, who was the then food secretary, was accused number 8 in the case. The case gained momentum in February this year when the then Food Minister T H Mustafa, an accused in the case, in a petition said that if Chandy was exempted from the case, he too should be discharged.
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