The Anti-Coca Cola Agitation Council of Plachimada has raised concerns about corruption in Coca Cola’s decision to hand over its 35-acre land and the buildings in it to the government instead of giving ₹216.26-crore compensation to the victims as ordered by the tribunal.
Agitation Council chairman Vilayodi Venugopal and Plachimada Victims Solidarity Council chairman Ambalakadavu Vijayan said here on Wednesday that Coke’s decision to hand over its properties to the government smacked of corruption. “It is a dangerous move,” they said.
They said that the company took the decision to give the properties to the government reportedly in a meeting with Power Minister K. Krishnankutty, who represents Chittur in the Assembly. “It’s a secret deal. The people of Chittur know nothing about such a deal,” said Mr. Venugopal and Mr. Vijayan.
They blamed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Mr. Krishnankutty for trying to make personal gains by entering into a deal with Coca Cola, instead of coercing the company to pay the compensation to the victims of Plachimada.
They warned that the people of Plachimada would oppose any move to open the Coke property in the guise of any name. They asked the government neither to take over the Coke property nor to hand it over to anyone else for further business without ensuring compensation for the victims.
A march will be taken out to Mr. Krishnankutty’s MLA office at Chittur on May 23. The protestors warned that they would launch a hunger strike if the government went ahead with its plans.
