Thiruvananthapuram: The state industries department has taken back the recruitment rights from the Kerala Public Enterprises Recruitment Board. The Board was constituted to hire employees for public sector enterprises.

The government had issued an order in January, empowering the Board to recruit operators for Keltron. The state has issued a new order, handing back the recruiting authority to Keltron. The government-level intervention came just a month after the Board became functional.

The Legislative Assembly passed the Kerala Public Enterprises (Selection and Recruitment) Board Bill in August last. Subsequently, the Industries Department issued a directive saying all recruitments should be made through the Board.

Meanwhile, Keltron sought the right to recruit eight operators. The industries department permitted Keltron to recruit employees for five operator vacancies. The written test and interview to fill up the five vacancies were held during 2013-15.

The department also instructed the recruitment Board to hire people for three other vacancies.

However, Keltron's chairman and managing director wrote to the government saying the public sector enterprise had also already prepared a shortlist of candidates and made preparations for the interview.

Against this backdrop, the government allowed Keltron to go ahead with the recruitment process.

The Board was set up to fill up vacancies in all public sector units in Kerala that are not done through the Public Service Commission. However, due to the non-cooperation of other departments, the recruitment rights were confined to the industries department.

The fresh directive, however, has limited the industries department's recruitment rights.