KT Jaleel faces more knotty questions on appointment charges

Malappuram: Minorities Welfare Minister KT Jaleel looks getting more entangled in charges of nepotism in the appointment of general manager in Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation (KSMDFC).

As more facts emerged from records and revelations from both the minister himself and his office, supplemented by facts clarified by the chairman of KSMDFC, Prof AP Abdul Vahab at a press conference called in Calicut on Thursday, things looked vaguer with unclear facts about the interview conducted, the criteria for selection for interview and whether all applicants were called for interview.

The arguments by the minister also begged the question, whether in the second round of recruitment attempt, several months after the first, further notification or advertisement was made which would give opportunity to fresh applicants.

The main contention of the minister was that it was in the absence of eligible candidates that his relative KT Adeeb was appointed general manager in KSMDFC. At the same time, the chairman Prof Abdul Vahab stated that the qualification requirement for GM's post was changed not at the behest of the Corporation, but as per a government decision. The latter position puts Jaleel more on the defensive.

Abdul Vahab said that out of six applications, five had MBA. One applicant who turned up for interview was eliminated as he was contract employee with SBI Life. Another norm applied for exclusion was the experience shown being in private firms. All the same the appointed candidate was from a private sector bank, which the chairman claimed as a statutory body on the strength of its being a scheduled bank. He said this was backed up by legal advice.

However, another candidate was rejected because his experience was in the private sector Malabar Co-operative Textiles Limited as Manager. Though this is a firm in the co-operative sector registered under the Co-operative Societies Act, it is owned by thte government of Kerala, as stated in its website.

On another aspect of qualification, it was explained that the qualification requirement was amended to include B-Tech, but it remains unclear whether opportunity was open for others when the qualification was changed. As per the chairman's clarification, this amendment was at the initiative of the government, and not of the Corporation.

As regards the requirement of Vigilance clearance for the appointment, Abdul Vahad took shelter under a statement that legal advice received was that general manager's post did not come under that. Having gone on record with such a position, the Corporation, and perhaps the government, may have to do some answering on such points at a later date.

CPM backs Jaleel

Meanwhile, CPM the leading party of the ruling front, is reported to have thrown its weight behind the minister, holding that there is no substance in the allegations against him, and there was nothing to warrant his resignation.

The party, which had its state secretariat meeting at Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, took a position that those who have objections to the appointment could approach the court. The assessment of the CPM came at a time when the issue seemed to get into further complications. Jaleel had visited the party's state office, AKG Centre on Thursday and discussed the matter with CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.