Thiruvananthapuram: Former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has once again approached the Lok Ayukta with a review petition with regards to his complaint against higher education minister R Bindu over the irregularities in the reappointment of Kannur University vice-chancellor.
Chennithala said that he had filed a petition that the chief minister should also be impleaded in the case in the wake of revelations from the governor that he acted only on the insistence of the chief minister’s office to reappoint Gopinath Ravindran as the VC. But even though the petition was filed before the Lok Ayukta’s verdict came, it was not considered and Lok Ayukta’s stance that his petition would be considered after pronouncing the verdict in the original petition amounts to insulting the complainant, he said.
Chennithala said that any appointment by overlooking the rules is serious and pronouncing the verdict without considering these is in violation of the duties vested with the Lok Ayukta. There is no doubt for anyone, including the Lok Ayukta, that the minister’s recommendation to reappoint Gopinath Ravindran as the VC against the UGC rules and the statute amounts to nepotism and misuse of official powers. He said that the governor’s revelation that the chief minister’s office interfered in the reappointment of the vice-chancellor is serious, which also amounts to nepotism.
In the wake of these matters, it is clear that a comprehensive probe is required, which is why he has filed a fresh petition with the Lok Ayukta requesting to review the verdict, Chennithala said. tnn
Chennithala said that he had filed a petition that the chief minister should also be impleaded in the case in the wake of revelations from the governor that he acted only on the insistence of the chief minister’s office to reappoint Gopinath Ravindran as the VC. But even though the petition was filed before the Lok Ayukta’s verdict came, it was not considered and Lok Ayukta’s stance that his petition would be considered after pronouncing the verdict in the original petition amounts to insulting the complainant, he said.
Chennithala said that any appointment by overlooking the rules is serious and pronouncing the verdict without considering these is in violation of the duties vested with the Lok Ayukta. There is no doubt for anyone, including the Lok Ayukta, that the minister’s recommendation to reappoint Gopinath Ravindran as the VC against the UGC rules and the statute amounts to nepotism and misuse of official powers. He said that the governor’s revelation that the chief minister’s office interfered in the reappointment of the vice-chancellor is serious, which also amounts to nepotism.
In the wake of these matters, it is clear that a comprehensive probe is required, which is why he has filed a fresh petition with the Lok Ayukta requesting to review the verdict, Chennithala said. tnn
,