Before stepping down in the wake of nepotism charges, E. P. Jayarajan, who held the industries and sports portfolios in the LDF ministry, had appointed about fifty party sympathizers to various posts in the Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC). Several sports persons who had been working on temporary basis for several years were removed without any prior notice to squeeze partymen into the council.
Anticipating that the move would snowball into a controversy, the authorities concerned suspended the order. However, the newly recruited have been given verbal instructions to join duty as per the order.
About fifty employees who were working on contract at different stadiums and district sports councils were shown the door. Though there were interviews to fill the vacant posts, it is learnt that most of the appointments were made as per a list issued by the minister’s office. After realizing that the move to sack 14 employees at one go was bound to trigger a controversy, three of them were reinstated. One of them, a clerk, is a relative of the current Sports Council’s president.
Sports Council secretary Dr. Sanjayan Kumar said the recruitment process was still under way and the council would adhere to the selection norms to fill the vacancies. He added that he was unaware of the fresh recruitments that took place at the Aquatics complex in Pirappancode.
As per the guidelines, to recruit staff on contract basis, the council is required to set the eligibility criteria before placing advertisements in newspapers and notifying district sports councils through circulars regarding the vacant posts. It is alleged that the candidates were invited for the interview held at the Sports Council office through phone calls.
The 'eligibility certificate' they possessed was a recommendation letter from the respective CPM’s area committee. The council removed 14 contract employees, including several former swimming champions, from the Aquatics complex in Pirappancode to make way for partymen.
Among those who were dismissed unceremoniously was Kavyadan Sasi, a former aquatic champion who was the administrator of the Sreepadam Indoor Stadium at Attingal. Four staff at the Nanniyode Swimming Pool also got the boot. Only the wardens at the council’s hostels at Thiruvananthpuram and Wayanad, and the relative of the council president’s driver were reinstated.