Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Thursday that a file relating to a deal struck by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government with a Canadian firm that was facing a vigilance inquiry was yet to be traced.

Chandy said Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) director Upendra Verma had been asked to submit an explanation about when the file had been asked for, and other details.

"Once he submits the report we would look into the issue of the missing file," Chandy told reporters here after a cabinet meeting.

State Home Secretary K.K. Vijayakumar was asked to submit a report on the deal between Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Canadian firm SNC Lavlin to the cabinet. His report was accepted by the government, which asked Verma for an explanation about the file.

Controversy over the deal had surfaced in 2001 when it was alleged that the firm had not given the Rs.1 billion grant that it had promised in 1998 to the Malabar Cancer Centre at Tellichery.

Upendra Verma had said at a press conference last month that the inquiry into the deal was unable to proceed due to the non-availability of a file relating to the deal.

KSEB chairman T.M. Manoharan had denied keeping back any file and said all files had been given to the vigilance.

According to the deal, SNC Lavlin - which specialises in hydroelectric generators - was given the Rs.2.5 billion contract for repair work on three generators in Kerala. The company had said it would provide the grant to the Cancer Centre.

Though in 2001 several Congress legislators had written to then chief minister A.K. Antony seeking a vigilance probe saying the Cancer Centre had received just Rs.120 million, Antony had ordered a probe in 2003.

The deal had been inked when Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinnarayi Vijayan was power minister in 1996.

At a press conference early this month, Vijayan had appeared peeved when a reporter asked about the files.

"All the files are there. Let them inquire into it and at the appropriate time I will speak out," said Vijayan.

It remains to be seen if Vijayan's detractors in the CPI-M - the camp led by leader of the opposition in the assembly V.S. Achuthanandan - opens this subject in the party meeting which began here Wednesday.