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Kerala Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan on Friday said he was ready to face investigation by any agency into the allegation that there was nepotism in the appointment of the chief executive officer of State-run Infopark IT facility at Kochi when he was Chief Minister.
PC George, Chief Whip of Kerala’s Congress-led UDF Government, had the other day alleged that Achuthanandan, who had held the IT portfolio in the former LDF Government he had headed, had gone out of his way to appoint Jijo Joseph, a close relative of former LDF MP Sebastian Paul, as Infopark CEO.
Terming the charge baseless, Achuthanandan said that Jijo Joseph was appointed as CEO of the IT park with the approval of the then State Cabinet. He said the post was not given to the candidate who had stood first in the interview as he had failed to submit his application within the stipulated time.
Apart from this, the IT Department had received a complaint against the person who stood first in the interview and this also was a ground for denying him the job. However, the UDF Government was free to institute a probe by an agency of its choice into the matter if it felt that there were irregularities.
George had alleged that the person who had stood first in the interview for the post was denied appointment as Achuthanandan had wanted to give it to Joseph because of his relationship with the former MP. Sebastian Paul was quick to challenge the Chief Whip to prove his charge.
There were rumours that a senior official in the IT Department then was interested in appointing the man who stood first in the interview as the CEO of Infopark, which is like Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram, a symbol of Kerala’s IT development. Joseph had stood second in the interview.
According to IT experts, Achuthanandan’s only fault was his failure to probe the complaint the Government received against the person who was denied the job. “He should have exposed that person’s connections so that this charge wouldn’t have come up now,” said a former IT Department official.
Sebastian Paul pointed out that his relative Joseph was appointed as Infopark CEO just when he was drawing a better salary as a professional with Infosys. “Many in the family were against his decision to take up this job for various reasons but he did it due to his interest in participating in the State’s IT development,” he said.
Chief Whip George had claimed that he had enough documents with him to prove that there was nepotism on the part of Achuthanandan in the appointment of Jijo Joseph, adding that Sebastian Paul was leading court battles these days for Achuthanandan as a thanks-giving gesture.
However, observers are of the opinion that George’s allegation is simply a public relations stunt from the part of the UDF as it is embattled by Achuthanandan’s legal and political campaigns.
“Even George doesn’t seem to be convinced of the validity of his argument,” said the editor of a leading Malayalam daily.
Senior CPI(M) officials refused to attach any seriousness to the allegation made by George. A senior CPI(M) leader said, “The UDF Government is finding itself in an extremely difficult position with problems on all fronts. It wants to divert public attention from these problems. This allegation against VS is such a ploy.”
PC George, Chief Whip of Kerala’s Congress-led UDF Government, had the other day alleged that Achuthanandan, who had held the IT portfolio in the former LDF Government he had headed, had gone out of his way to appoint Jijo Joseph, a close relative of former LDF MP Sebastian Paul, as Infopark CEO.
Terming the charge baseless, Achuthanandan said that Jijo Joseph was appointed as CEO of the IT park with the approval of the then State Cabinet. He said the post was not given to the candidate who had stood first in the interview as he had failed to submit his application within the stipulated time.
Apart from this, the IT Department had received a complaint against the person who stood first in the interview and this also was a ground for denying him the job. However, the UDF Government was free to institute a probe by an agency of its choice into the matter if it felt that there were irregularities.
George had alleged that the person who had stood first in the interview for the post was denied appointment as Achuthanandan had wanted to give it to Joseph because of his relationship with the former MP. Sebastian Paul was quick to challenge the Chief Whip to prove his charge.
There were rumours that a senior official in the IT Department then was interested in appointing the man who stood first in the interview as the CEO of Infopark, which is like Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram, a symbol of Kerala’s IT development. Joseph had stood second in the interview.
According to IT experts, Achuthanandan’s only fault was his failure to probe the complaint the Government received against the person who was denied the job. “He should have exposed that person’s connections so that this charge wouldn’t have come up now,” said a former IT Department official.
Sebastian Paul pointed out that his relative Joseph was appointed as Infopark CEO just when he was drawing a better salary as a professional with Infosys. “Many in the family were against his decision to take up this job for various reasons but he did it due to his interest in participating in the State’s IT development,” he said.
Chief Whip George had claimed that he had enough documents with him to prove that there was nepotism on the part of Achuthanandan in the appointment of Jijo Joseph, adding that Sebastian Paul was leading court battles these days for Achuthanandan as a thanks-giving gesture.
However, observers are of the opinion that George’s allegation is simply a public relations stunt from the part of the UDF as it is embattled by Achuthanandan’s legal and political campaigns.
“Even George doesn’t seem to be convinced of the validity of his argument,” said the editor of a leading Malayalam daily.
Senior CPI(M) officials refused to attach any seriousness to the allegation made by George. A senior CPI(M) leader said, “The UDF Government is finding itself in an extremely difficult position with problems on all fronts. It wants to divert public attention from these problems. This allegation against VS is such a ploy.”
