Decision on coke report soon: Kerala CM

Kerala government would soon take a decision on a committee's recommendation to realise compensation of Rs 216 crore (Rs 2.16 billion) from Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Company Ltd for damages caused to people, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said.

The Cabinet was examining the report of the high-power committee headed by additional chief secretary K Jayakumar which submitted its recommendations on March 22, Achuthanandan told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

A decision on the report of the Chief Secretary, who sought an explanation from senior bureaucrat T Balakrishnan for his expression of regret over failure to save the Coca Cola plant at Plachimada, would be also taken soon, he said.

The chief secretary had submitted the report to cabinet, Achuthanandan said to a question.

The Cabinet had asked the chief secretary to get a detailed clarification from Balakrishnan, Principal Secretary (Industries) for his remark as it ran contrary to the Left Democratic Front government's stand, which maintained that the Cola giant was exploiting ground water.

While addressing a business meet, Balakrishnan had stated that it was rather unfortunate that the Coca Cola plant could not be saved from virtual closure.

The Coca Cola plant, which has not been in operation for the last few years, is facing legal problems and agitations by resistance groups alleging that it depleted groundwater and harmed environment.