Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 18 (PTI) The CPI(M) on Saturday accused Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan of misleading the public by claiming that the Tata Group would invest Rs 10,000 crore to set up a shipbuilding yard in the state, saying such a statement was unbecoming of a chief minister.
The CPI(M) alleged that Satheesan had now announced that land would be provided to the Tata Group for a shipbuilding unit, even though spokespersons associated with the conglomerate had reportedly clarified that no such project was under consideration.
In a statement, the party’s state secretariat said that during the previous LDF government’s tenure, a memorandum of understanding was signed between a subsidiary company of the Tata Group and Malabar Cements for a proposed boat-building facility involving an investment of around Rs 500 crore.
It also said that a Rs 3,700-crore shipbuilding project in association with Hyundai was proposed at the Cochin Shipyard during the LDF government’s tenure.
The party further alleged that the chief minister’s “habit of making false claims” had become an embarrassment for Kerala.
The CPI(M)’s statement came a day after the Kerala government clarified that Satheesan’s recent remarks about the Tata Group setting up a shipbuilding venture in the state reflected the government’s long-term maritime development vision under the ‘Mission Samudra’ initiative.
It was not intended to suggest that a specific investment proposal had already been finalised with the company, the statement had said.
Speaking at a programme in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, Satheesan had said the Tata Group would establish its first shipbuilding venture in Kerala and that ship maintenance facilities would also be set up in the state. PTI LGK ADB
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