Kozhikode: Prime Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday, the recent bribery with people who are connected to Enforcement Directorates (ED) was a serious matter. “There were several complaints against the EDs, including allegations of financial misconduct, but so far no concrete evidence had appeared,” said the CM, while he was addressing the media during the celebrations of the fourth anniversary of the fourth anniversary.

“There has long been suspicion of questionable business with the ED, and now they were caught Red Hand. This raises serious questions about the credibility of a central investigative authority,” he said. The Prime Minister asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in order to restore the public's trust in his functioning.

The CM comments come after the arrest of two men who pretend to be ED agents in Ernakulam. The office of vigilance and anti-corruption (VACB) grabbed the accused when she assumed a bribe from 2 Lakh from an industrial assisted in a collaborative. The VACB has appointed the deputy director of Ed, Sekhar Kumar, the first defendant in the FIR, and his participation is examined.

In an interview with the media, the CM also said that the state government would no longer take steps to solve the continued protest by accredited activists for social health (Ashas). He said that the government had already taken measures to clear up their concerns, but these efforts were unsuccessful.

In addition, the CM commented on the NH-66-street collapse in Malappuram and called it “unhappy”. He found that national autobahn expansion projects are progressing in the entire state, but the government will investigate whether geographical factors were adequately taken into account during the planning of NH-66. “We will have discussions with the NHAI to check whether there were any misconceptions and to ensure that future extensions will be carried out more effectively and more safely,” he said.

Vijayan said the state had experienced nine years of development and social progress under the LDF government. A progress report will be presented on Friday. The Prime Minister listed various development projects and also criticized the UDF via the Vizhinjam International Seaport project. He accused the center of financially squeezing Kerala by holding back funds that the state rightly earns.