THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With just six months left for the conclusion of the AMRUT project, the mission’s state directorate is recruiting people, after it decided against renewing the contracts of four staff members.
Sources said the decision to not renew the contracts was made on grounds of ‘non-performance’, which has been contested even by the city mayor.
One of the four employees terminated was with the city mission management unit (CMMU) and remaining with the state mission management unit (SMMU).
Sources in the local self-government department claimed that the mission directorate have kept A C Moideen, the minister concerned, in the dark and cited ‘non-performance’ as the reason for termination of contracts of the staff members.
While renewal of contracts has been a routine affair over the past three years, recent news reports about irregularities in AMRUT and violation of guidelines had angered senior officials with the mission directorate. They felt that the contract staff members were leaking information to the media, sources said.
Four years into the launch of project, Kerala has only recorded 23% expenditure in nine cities covering five sectors till date while the total project cost is Rs 2,357 crore.
The mission directorate, however, considered the performance ‘satisfactory’ after a recent review meeting by secretary of housing and urban affairs.
One of the staff members has been terminated from Thiruvananthapuram city mission management unit. Of all the nine cities, the capital has recorded the highest number of works completed under key sectors: water supply (12), sewerage (38) and storm water drainage (53).
Other cities still show zero expenditure under septage and sewerage. Yet, two higher officials reportedly said the termination of staff members was preceded by tests and interviews, which sources said, were never held.
Trivandrum mayor V K Prasanth had taken up the matter with LSGD minister, seeking to know how a staff member in a performing city could be terminated for ‘non-performance’. However, a response is still awaited.
Two other SMMU staff members were also ousted reportedly on charges of propagating negative information about AMRUT.
The series of irregularities in awarding of consultancy had triggered a row in the legislative assembly, councils of city corporations and recently, CAG audit had sought an explanation from Thrissur corporation for suspected malpractices in selection of consultancy.
Earlier in February, project manager Shaajan S, resigned after he had objected to violation of guidelines in the unauthorised appointment of A L Charles as deputy mission director (DMD).
The mission director earlier said that the LSG minister Moideen had cleared the appointment.
Even the staff with CMMU in other cities, against whom complaints were received are allowed to continue. The contract of an SMMU employee, who was recently served a show-cause notice for laxity in duty, was renewed.
Mission director R Girija did not respond to TOI's request for comment.
Sources said the decision to not renew the contracts was made on grounds of ‘non-performance’, which has been contested even by the city mayor.
One of the four employees terminated was with the city mission management unit (CMMU) and remaining with the state mission management unit (SMMU).
Sources in the local self-government department claimed that the mission directorate have kept A C Moideen, the minister concerned, in the dark and cited ‘non-performance’ as the reason for termination of contracts of the staff members.
While renewal of contracts has been a routine affair over the past three years, recent news reports about irregularities in AMRUT and violation of guidelines had angered senior officials with the mission directorate. They felt that the contract staff members were leaking information to the media, sources said.
Four years into the launch of project, Kerala has only recorded 23% expenditure in nine cities covering five sectors till date while the total project cost is Rs 2,357 crore.
The mission directorate, however, considered the performance ‘satisfactory’ after a recent review meeting by secretary of housing and urban affairs.
One of the staff members has been terminated from Thiruvananthapuram city mission management unit. Of all the nine cities, the capital has recorded the highest number of works completed under key sectors: water supply (12), sewerage (38) and storm water drainage (53).
Other cities still show zero expenditure under septage and sewerage. Yet, two higher officials reportedly said the termination of staff members was preceded by tests and interviews, which sources said, were never held.
Trivandrum mayor V K Prasanth had taken up the matter with LSGD minister, seeking to know how a staff member in a performing city could be terminated for ‘non-performance’. However, a response is still awaited.
Two other SMMU staff members were also ousted reportedly on charges of propagating negative information about AMRUT.
The series of irregularities in awarding of consultancy had triggered a row in the legislative assembly, councils of city corporations and recently, CAG audit had sought an explanation from Thrissur corporation for suspected malpractices in selection of consultancy.
Earlier in February, project manager Shaajan S, resigned after he had objected to violation of guidelines in the unauthorised appointment of A L Charles as deputy mission director (DMD).
The mission director earlier said that the LSG minister Moideen had cleared the appointment.
Even the staff with CMMU in other cities, against whom complaints were received are allowed to continue. The contract of an SMMU employee, who was recently served a show-cause notice for laxity in duty, was renewed.
Mission director R Girija did not respond to TOI's request for comment.
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