Kerala Agricultural University Debars four Officials

19 September2012
Thrissur

In a major shake up to its administrative hierarchy, the Kerala Agricultural University here, removed four academics from their respective posts citing irregularities in appointment. This is for the first time that the university has removed four key officials at one go.

According to officials, Dr P.R.Gopalakrishnan, director of research, Dr P.V.Balachandran, director of extension, Dr Swerup John, agricultural dean and Dr M.Sivaswami, agricultural engineering dean, vacated their posts on Friday following a decision by its executive council in this regard.

The decision came in the wake of a finding by the KAU general council in June 2012 that their selections were carried out by the same selection committee, based on the same score card.

The appointments, carried out in July 2010, had been under the general council’s scanner after Dr P.Sivaprasad, an applicant to these posts had approached the Kerala High Court alleging irregularities in the selection process.

Confirming the move, Vice-Chancellor Dr P.Rajendran said the university carried out an audit into the appointments following a direction by the Governor of Kerala, who is also the Chancellor of the university.After the auditing and hearing of the officials concerned, the general council recommended to the executive council that they be removed from their posts.

The decision, however, got delayed as the aggrieved approached the court and with the court refusing to cancel the findings, the executive council on September 11 decided to serve them notice to vacate their posts within seven days’’, he said.

Source– http://www.deccanchronicle.com

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