World Bank writes to Arun Jaitley on Sudhakaran’s outburst

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The controversy over public works minister G Sudhakaran’s recent outburst against the World Bank and one of its senior officials, Dr Bernard Aritua, is unlikely to end with an apology. It is reliably learnt that the World Bank has sent a letter to Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on the matter.
The bank, which has a zero tolerance approach to racism, has also formally intimated its displeasure to the office of Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP). Besides the racist slur, the World Bank is learnt to be miffed with the minister’s comment putting the responsibility for the delay in the project on it. It is learnt to have pointed out that the bank is only a lending agency and the debtor is responsible to ensure proper utilisation of the loan.
The bank raised the matter with Jaitley as the agreement for the loan has been reached with the Union government. It is learnt to have pointed out the lack of commitment on the part of the state government by citing Sudhakaran’s speech, wherein the minister said the World Bank was responsible for the corruption in the project and the state government had no qualms in the bank cancelling the remaining loan amount.
KSTP project director Ajit Patil said he had no information about any letter. PWD sources, however, said senior officials would soon meet World Bank officials to sort out the issue.
The World Bank had, during a meeting with officials of Department of Economic Affairs last month, conveyed its plan to cancel the remaining loan amount in view of the delay in disbursement of the loan amount.