The Ernakulam Region Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (ERCMPU) denied allegations that the union leadership had accepted money for appointment to various posts, even as members of the Youth Congress Mandalam Committee staged a protest in front of the ERCMPU headquarters at Edappally on Wednesday.
Former Kalamassery Municipal chairman Jamal Manakkadan alleged that the union leadership, in cahoots with the LDF government, was making appointments for financial gains. Such appointments are made just as the local body elections are around the corner.
However, ERCMPU chairman John Theruvath dismissed the charges as baseless. He said fresh hands were recruited to the various regions of the milk union in a transparent manner.
The appointments are finalised by an eight-member board comprising five government representatives, including the Secretary to the Department of Agriculture. There are also three milk union representatives on the board. The Secretary, Department of Agriculture, is the chairman of the board, he said.
Each region of the union — Kozhikode, Ernakulam, and Thiruvuanathapuram — has independent recruitment board.
Fresh appointments are made on the basis of a written test, group discussion, and interview. Applicants for lower grade posts are not interviewed as per the Centre’s guidelines, he said.
Mr. Theruvath said the Youth Congress activists had staged the protest violating instructions from the Congress leadership to refrain from such activities in view of the pandemic spread. He added that he had made a formal complaint to the party leadership in the district.
The protesters wanted the milk union to leave all new appointments to the Public Service Commission. Youth Congress Mandalam president Anwar Karim, Congress Mandalam vice president Manaf Puthuvayil, and party block secretary P.M. Najeeb were among those who participated in the protest.
