KU Syndicate special meet likely to be stormy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The special meeting of the Kerala University Syndicate on Monday to discuss the Lok Ayukta recommendation to cancel the appointments made to the assistant grade II in the university is expected to be stormy.  LDF nominees in the Syndicate will demand filing an appeal in the High Court as they feel the Lok Ayukta recommendation was a direct blow to the credibility of the Front as three of its leaders have been termed guilty of favouritism and nepotism in the selection of the candidates. ‘’It is only a recommendation from the Lok Ayukta and there is scope for moving higher court. Moreover, it is a matter concerning employment and life of nearly 180 persons and there is no evidence of fraud except the absence of OMR sheet,’’ says Syndicate member P S Sreekala. Meanwhile, the UDF nominees in the Syndicate will endorse the stand of  the UDF and the State Government not to go for appeal against the Lok Ayukta recommendation, as announced by CM Oommen Chandy. ‘’There are recommendations from Lok Ayukta and a report by Justice N Sukumaran Commission against the accused. The university will take a stand  respecting judiciary and accepting their finding and recommendation as it had helped it come out of suspicion in the assistant grade appointments. So, there is no need of an appeal,’’ Syndicate member Jyothi Kumar Chamakkala. On December 29, the Lok Ayukta had cancelled all the Assistant Grade II appointments in Kerala University, made on the basis of a written test conducted on July 3, 2005, and recommended legal action against former  Vice-Chancellor M K Ramachandran Nair, former Pro Vice-Chancellor V Jayaprakash, former university Syndicate members and CPM nominees B S Rajiv, A A Rasheed, K A Andrews and M P Russel.  The Lok Ayukta also recommended Higher Education Department Secretary to direct the university Vice-Chancellor to constitute a new selection board for conducting a fresh entrance examination for all the candidates who had applied earlier.  Lok Ayukta’s ruling was passed on a complaint filed by Sujith S Kurup, a former Senate member, after the appointments to 181 out of 200 notified posts for assistants became controversial as around 50 persons on the list were found closely linked to the CPM leaders. Kerala High Court will consider the petitions regarding the appointment  on January 10.