Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said here on Monday that the United Democratic Front (UDF), if elected to power, would legislate to prevent backdoor appointments in government jobs.
Accusing the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of conducting a ‘Kumbh Mela’ of backdoor appointments, Mr. Chennithala said that it would be made mandatory through a new law that heads of departments should report their vacancies to the Public Service Commission (PSC) once in six months.
“Our proposed Bill will deem the failure of reporting of vacant posts as a criminal offence,” he said while addressing the media here. Mr. Chennithala’s Aiswarya Kerala Yatra received a warm reception in the district on Monday.
The Congress leader said that criminal proceedings would be initiated against those making temporary appointments while a PSC rank list is in place, and against those failing to report the vacancies to the PSC. “It will be a cognizable offence stipulating a punishment of imprisonment from three months to two years.”
He alleged that the LDF government made nearly three lakh backdoor and temporary appointments during the last four and half years. “The LDF has denied jobs to at least three lakh qualified youngsters,” he said.
Mr. Chennithala said that former Parliament Member M.B. Rajesh was in the forefront to besmear the three Malayalam subject experts who spoke up against an illegal appointment given to his wife at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady.
“These subject experts were all Left supporters. Now they are being portrayed as offenders for finding the fraud by Mr. Rajesh’s wife,” he said. “That shows how low this government could plunge in morals,” he said.
