KOZHIKODE: PWD minister PA Mohammed Riyas stood by the statement he made in the assembly against MLAs coming to meet him with contractors. Addressing the media on Friday, Riyas said what he said in the assembly was the stand taken by LDF and there was ‘no question of retracting a single step from what he had said’.
Riyas termed media reports that he had expressed regret at the CPM parliamentary party meeting after some CPM MLAs took exception to his remarks as incorrect and added that no one had raised the matter at the meeting. “I firmly stand by what I said and have not retracted a bit. It was not an offhand statement but one made after a careful consideration,” he added.
However, the minister clarified that MLAs can approach the minister on any issue including hurdles faced by contractors in connection with PWD works undertaken in their constituency. He added that what he had mentioned in the assembly was about the impropriety of MLAs coming on behalf of the works undertaken by a contractor in another constituency.
Riyas said there was a nexus between contractors and some officials of the department in some places in Kerala. “For instance, some officials and contractors enter into an agreement to mention the price of bitumen at high rates and it has been causing loss to the exchequer. Also, there were instances in which some officials sided with contractors to delay the timely completion of contract works. CAG report had pointed out such issues,” he said.
In reply to a question in the assembly, Riyas has said that it was not proper for MLAs to meet the minister with contractors or contractors approaching the minister with the recommendation of MLAs.
Thalassery MLA AN Shamseer had reportedly taken exception to this remark at the CPM parliamentary party meeting saying that it was not up to the minister to decide who should accompany the MLA while meeting the minister. Shamseer had reportedly said that MLAs are dutybound to resolve issues in the constituency and often they have to meet ministers with various people in the constituency.
