Wayanad Collector suspended

The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to suspend Wayanad Collector T. Bhaskaran from service on charges of dereliction of duty in connection with a job scam.

The suspension is pending inquiry into at least eight persons joining government service in the district by producing fake orders.

The Cabinet decided to form a special police investigation team headed by Additional Director-General of Police Vinson M. Paul to probe the scam. Besides, a Vigilance probe would be instituted to investigate the role of government employees in the scam.

Briefing the media on the Cabinet decisions, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said that appointments during the past ten years would be scrutinised to detect irregularities. A cell would be set up in the Administrative Reforms Department for the purpose.

To prevent irregularities in future, a verification report from the Public Service Commission would be made mandatory before regularisation of appointments. The Cabinet decided to issue necessary directions in this regard.

Replying to questions, Mr. Achuthanandan denied the allegation that the Collector had not acted against the irregular appointments because of interventions by Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran. Such false allegations were being projected by a section of the media.

Action based on report

The Revenue Minister had forwarded a petition received by the government in October for inquiry by the Deputy Collector (Vigilance), Kozhikode. On the basis of the Deputy Collector's report, Mr. Rajendran had ordered further inquiry by Commissioner of Land Revenue K.R. Muraleedharan. The action against the Collector and others was being taken on the basis of Mr. Muraleedharan's report.

He had not verified whether leaders of the Joint Council of State Service Organisations, affiliated to the Communist Party of India, were involved in the scam.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the Collector had not taken a complaint received by him during the Chief Minister's ‘Sutharyakeralam' programme on television, and forwarded to the Collector, with due seriousness. The services of the persons who had entered government service using fake documents had been regularised without police verification. Thus the Collector had committed serious dereliction of duty and criminal neglect.