In Recruitment Body Row, Kerala Chief Minister Questions Opposition, Ex Governor

Adding another dimension to the controversy surrounding Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) appointments, Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday said former governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar recommended the removal of PSC Chairman MR Baiju to the President without consulting the state government.

He also accused the CPI(M)-led opposition of using that recommendation to hide wrongdoing within the recruitment body.

The controversy began with a State Planning Board recruitment exam for senior posts. After the exam, 10 descriptive questions carrying 58 marks went unevaluated in the answer scripts of all 228 candidates, but the PSC still published rank lists and made appointments. The PSC told the Kerala High Court it was a clerical, computer-related error.

The Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) found that the candidate ranked first would not have made the rank list at all had the evaluation been done properly.

Last week, the SIT arrested former PSC deputy secretary P Satheesh, after the High Court criticised the slow pace of the probe and asked why the recruitment body was not cooperating. The chairman is also expected to be questioned.

"No consultation took place with the government. Not a single consultation happened," Satheesan told reporters on Arlekar recommending the removal of the chairman. "In accordance with the Constitution, the governor should convey such opinions together with the government. The governor cannot express this opinion alone."

He said the recommendation and the PSC irregularities were "two distinct issues". "Nothing in the PSC will be protected under the pretext of what the governor has done," he said, accusing the opposition of running a campaign to save the people holding positions in the body.

'No Compromise'

The chief minister declined to share specific details of the investigation, but called the early findings "shocking".

"Relatives and near ones have been appointed. Poor young people waited, wrote exams, attended coaching classes, only to be pushed aside so that favoured individuals, relatives and those related to the party could be appointed," he said.

"The credibility of the PSC will be restored. The culprits will be brought before the law. There will be no compromise," he asserted.

Satheesan said the complaints went beyond a single exam. The police have received 180 complaints and the investigation has widened to other recruitment processes, including an Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector exam, and intakes for fisheries officers and Khadi Board inspectors.

Some of these exams were held while CPI(M) leader MK Sakeer was PSC chairman, and the SIT plans to question him as well.