The idea of creating a board is being spearheaded by the CM Pinarayi Vijayan (R) himself and CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. File photoThiruvananthapuram: The CPM and the Kerala government is mulling the creation of a special recruitment board to make appointments to public sector organizations transparent.
The move comes following the controversy involving former minister E.P. Jayarajan, who favored his relatives to top posts and had to quit the cabinet. A final decision would be taken following a meeting with LDF constituents and the law could soon be passed by the cabinet.
When CM Pinarayi Vijayan was cooperatives minister, he had created a cooperative exam board for appointments to cooperative departments.
The candidates for appointments would be selected only from a pool selected by the exam board. The same model could be extended to public service organizations as well.
While the LDF had opposed a special recruitment board for Devaswom when the UDF constituted it, the decision has been accepted by the LDF now. The new board would create norms for appointment to all posts except the chairperson's position. The chair is a political appointment.
Jayarajan had appointed his relative, P K Sudheer Nambiar, as MD to KSIE bypassing RIAB, an expert committee constituted for such appointments. While politically-influenced appointments are nothing new and would continue, the new norms are expected to lead to some changes.
The idea of creating a board is being spearheaded by the CM himself and CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
Out of the 100-odd public sector organizations in the state, 80 are under the Industries Department. Random appointments and nepotism has degraded quality of these organizations. Only 30 organizations are making profits. Since it would not be easy for the PSC to manage appointments to about 100 such institutions, a special board is being created.
