Vizhinjam.Kochi: Kerala additional chief secretary James Varghese relinquished his responsibilities related to the ports department amid a raging controversy sparked by the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on the upcoming Vizhinjam international port.
Varghese wrote to the chief secretary that he did not deem it proper to continue in the post when the contract the government signed with the Adani Group had come under the scanner of the CAG and became the subject of a judicial probe.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others requested him to stay on but the officer persisted. The cabinet has relieved him of his responsibilities but has not picked any officer to helm the department.
Burdened with work
Varghese, who went on leave, also said that he was burdened with work as he was in charge of seven crucial departments including environment, forest and ports. He was reporting to six ministers.
The officer quit his post in the ports department foreseeing pressure from the government to take a stand against the contract signed by the previous government, sources close to him said.
Varghese had earlier written to the CAG that the report smacked of a conspiracy. CAG Shashi Kant Sarma had sought an explanation from the state accountant general on a complaint by Varghese. A few officers from the AG’s office have been summoned to New Delhi but the office maintained that it was a routine travel related to office works.
Former chief minister Oommen Chandy had also written to the CAG, saying that the report was baseless.
