KTU employees approach Guv Khan, seek to cancel backdoor appointments

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when the LDF government is facing allegations of backdoor appointments, a section of the employees in the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) has approached Governor Arif Mohammed Khan with a petition alleging nepotism in temporary appointments to 86 non-teaching posts. Recently, KTU recruited 54 administrative support staff, 19 e-governance support staff, nine office attendants and four drivers.

According to a petition by the Federation of All Kerala University Employees’ Organisation (FUEO), majority of the people selected had links with the CPM. “The appointees included party cadre and also neighbours of the members of syndicate, former personal staff members of the then ministers and close aides of present ministers,” the petition said.

The practice followed in the university for making temporary appointments is merit-based written examination conducted in a free and fair manner. “The procedure was sabotaged by the present syndicate and the university authorities made all the temporary appointments on the basis of interview alone,” the petition stated.

FUEO pointed out that in the cover of the agitation going on against the temporary vice-chancellor appointed by the governor, the university issued another notification on November 8 to appoint more persons on daily wage basis. In the petition, the employees’ organisation urged the governor to cancel all illegal appointments made by the university. “Directions may also be given to the officials to take steps to make all the permanent appointments by way of the KPSC and temporary appointments only by way of employment exchange,” the petition demanded.