K.M. Abraham, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, is likely to face a second precursory inquiry by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).
The “forthcoming” examination is related to the period when Mr. Abraham served as Principal Secretary, Higher Education.
The senior bureaucrat is already facing a Vigilance probe in a disproportionate assets complaint. Mr. Abraham had earlier described the complaint as the handy work of corrupt elements whom he had exposed in his line of work.
The VACB had, evidently, decided to initiate the inquiry on the basis of a complaint filed by T.G. Saratchandran, a retired Deputy Director of Collegiate Education. His main accusation was that the Mr. Abraham had “blatantly violated” the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and “denied” promotion to those eligible for elevation as college Principals.
The complainant himself was a “victim” and had to approach the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) to be reinstated after he was “suspended from service” in 2014.
He alleged that Mr. Abraham had “relaxed norms” to elevate Grade IV Librarians to the status of UGC librarians, thus enabling them to draw UGC scale salaries for which they were not eligible.
The government “lost” an estimated Rs 20 crore due to the “erroneous decision”. Librarians in private aided colleges had “profited hugely” from Mr. Abraham’s action.
Abuse of power alleged
Mr. Saratchandran had also accused Mr. Abraham of having misused his power as Vice Chancellor in charge and sanctioned an M. Phil course in Islamic History in University College though there was no PhD holder, as mandated by the UGC, in the department.
He alleged that the “quick move” was to “please” the then Education Minister Abdu Rabb who desired two teachers to be transferred to the department from Malappuram.
Both of them did not allegedly have requisite qualification to instruct M.Phil students.
The petitioner said Mr. Abraham “ratified irregular appointments of lecturers without requisite qualification specified by the UGC in private colleges.”
He also cast aspersions on Mr. Abraham’s “nod” to upgrade Arabic colleges to UGC status and ‘grant” UGC scale to Polytechnic College teachers.
Mr. Abraham told The Hindu that he had taken disciplinary action against the petitioner while in service. He has not seen the petition or been approached by the VACB so far.
Petitioner says government lost Rs.20 crore
due to
erroneous decision.
