Kochi : The latest in the series of fake news from Malayala Manorama - a rather amusing one - targets state government’s housing scheme in partnership with UAE’s Red Crescent authority.
Fantasy
The newspaper on its front page published a copy of the MoU signed by state and Red Crescent for the Life housing project, flaunting it as their shocking exclusive because, according to Manorama, CM had denied any governmental involvement with Red Crescent in the projects. Incidentally, the ‘exclusive leak” is a copy of the document released way back and Manorama’s purported claim leaves one wondering if it is a problem with memory, language or average sense, the newspaper is grappling with.
Fact
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had announced signing of the MoU with Red Crescent the very day it was done and in fact had informed of its features way back on 11th July of 2019 on the official Facebook page.
In the press meet held after signing the MoU, CM provided answers to several queries on the project. The MoU provides a basic frame work for cooperation in the area of constructing “home for the homeless” with funds shelled out from Red Crescent to a tune of 70 lakh UAE dinars and healthcare infrastructure for which it will spend another 30 lakh UAE dinars, CM said.
The MoU also emphasises separate contract for each project falling under the scheme. The Red Crescent General Secretary, at the very outset, had clarified that it would not transfer cash in aid to the state government and will instead handover the desired housing complexes when completed. Therefore, awarding of contracts and money exchanges thereof were all made by Red Crescent. And, this is the portion Manorama leveraged on, to distort it as government’s claim of lack of involvement and went on to paste an already published document as “exclusive” to build credence for its outlandish fake.
Sunshine
Incidentally, the Red Crescent agreement with government has seen commencement in construction of 140 flats measuring 500 sq ft each at the housing complex in Wadakanchery, the works of which will be over by December this year.
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