Kochi, February 22: Kerala High Court today issued notices to central and state governments on a public interest litigation seeking a direction to blacklist Canadian firm S N C Lavalin, which was embroiled in a graft case in the state.
Petitioner K K Unnithan, former Executive Engineer of Kerala State Electricity Board, stated that going by Lavalin’s antecedents, empanelling it in huge contracts was illegal and hence the company should be blacklisted.
A Division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice P R Raman and Justice C N Ramachandran Nair, admitted the petition and issued notices.
On previous occasions, the company had refused to meet the commitments of giving grant in aid, the petitioner alleged.
The apprehension now was that the central government had included SNC Lavalin as one of the contractors for a Rs 50,000 crore project out of which Rs 254 crore had been alloted to Kerala.
–Agencies