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.
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. “No consultation took place with the government. “In accordance with the Constitution, the governor should convey such opinions together with the government. The governor cannot express this opinion alone.
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.
Not a single consultation happened,” Satheesan told reporters on Arlekar recommending the removal of the chairman. 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. The chief minister declined to share specific details of the investigation, but called the early findings “shocking”. Satheesan said the complaints went beyond a single exam.
