Veteran CPI(M) leader Anathalavattom Anandan dies
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Veteran CPI(M) leader and former legislator Anathalavattom Anandan, who played a key role in building the trade union base for the party in Kerala, died at a hospital here on Thursday, his colleagues said.
He was 86. He is survived by his wife and two children.
The veteran leader's end came while undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College hospital here for a prolonged illness, party sources said.
Anandan was the state president of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU).
Born in Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district in 1937, Anandan began his political career in 1954 by participating in an agitation seeking more wages for coir workers in his village.
He became a member of the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1956, and stood with it after the split in the party in 1964.
Fighting for the cause of the working class in the state, Anandan played a key role in building the trade union base of the party in the state.
As the leader of the CITU, he led several agitations for the workers in both organised and unorganised sectors.
The veteran leader was elected to the state assembly from the Attingal constituency three times--in 1987, 1996 and 2007.
Anandan was also a prominent face of the CPI(M) in the TV debates.
His body will be kept at the CPI(M) headquarters here on Friday for the public to pay homage.
His cremation will be held at Santhikavadam here at 5 pm on Friday, the party said.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Finance Minister K N Balagopal, and leaders of various political parties including, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, V D Satheesan, and BJP state chief K Surendran condoled the demise of Anandan.
In his message, Khan said Anandan's contributions to public service and workers' causes will be long remembered.
Vijayan said Anandan was a leader who dedicated his life to the working-class movement.
Recalling his long association with the departed leader, the chief minister said he was a strong organiser of the Communist movement in the state.
Whenever the Communist movement came under attack, Anandan actively intervened to convey the correct position of the party to the people and convinced them.
"The general society of Kerala as a whole and the Left movement and the trade union movement in particular have suffered a heavy loss due to the demise of Comrade," Vijayan said, paying tribute to Anandan.
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ED undertakes raids in Jharkhand Ayushman Bharat 'fraud' case
Ranchi, Apr 4 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted multi-state searches, including at the premises of the private secretary of former Jharkhand health minister Banna Gupta, as part of a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, official sources said.
The officials of the federal probe agency raided 21 locations in Jharkhand, Delhi and West Bengal under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.
Premises linked to Om Prakash Singh, Gupta, apart from that of "key suspects", including consultants and former executives of associated firms, were raided early morning. A security team of central paramilitary personnel accompanied the officials of the federal probe agency.
Locations of officials linked to the Jharkhand State Arogya Society (JSAS), employees and offices of Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) like MD India, Safeway, Medi Assist and their associates were also raided, they said.
There was no immediate response to the ED action by Gupta or his PS.
ED teams raided a house in Mango locality and a nursing home along NH-33 in Jamshedpur city apart from locations in Ashok Nagar and Bariyatu in state capital Ranchi.
In Kolkata, the offices of some "entry operators" or hawala dealers are being raided, the sources said.
The ED, agency sources said, suspects that "proceeds of crime" were generated through systematic "fraud" within the Ayushman Bharat scheme through "manipulation" of hospital empanelment and processing of "fake" claims facilitated by a "nexus" demanding commissions and kickbacks.
Ayushman Bharat is a flagship scheme of the Union government which aims to achieve universal health coverage for citizens.
