Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has challenged Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan to come clean on the ‘money collected’ for recruitment in colleges and schools run by the S.N. Trust and accused him of having evaded proper accounting of the money by filling all key posts in the Yogam and Trust with his close relatives.
In a statement here on Tuesday, Mr. Achuthanandan demanded to know why Mr. Natesan was not coming out with the exact amounts collected for giving jobs run by the Trust and whether these had been properly shown in the statements of accounts of the Trust.
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Between 1996 and 2013, 645 teacher appointments were made in S.N. Colleges under the University of Kerala, 167 in those under the Calicut University, and 92 in colleges under the Kannur University, taking the total number of teacher posts filled during the period to 904.
If, on an average, Rs.20 lakh was collected from each person, the total amount would exceed Rs.180 crore. Recruitment to posts in other S.N. Trust-run institutions and schools were besides this. In 2014, 100 teacher posts were announced by the Trust-run colleges.
The going rate is stated to be Rs.40 lakh. If so, the total amount collected would come to Rs.80 crore.
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The Trust had the duty to make the revenue from this source public as the salaries of those employed were being paid from the exchequer ever since the direct payment system was implemented by the EMS government of 1957 and 1967. Presentation of accounts in the meetings of the Yogam and Trust meant little as these bodies were filled with Mr. Natesan’s family members.
Mr. Natesan himself was the general secretary of both the Yogam and Trust. He is also the chairman of the S.N. Trust Medical Mission.
His son Thushar Vellappally is the vice president of the Yogam, chairman of the S.N. Youth Movement, and the Yogam’s nominee in the Guruvayur Devaswom Board.
Mr. Natesan’s relative M.N. Soman is the Yogam president. Mr. Natesan’s wife Preethy Natesan is a member of the Trust board.
Trust directors
Among the Trust directors are Mr. Natesan’s daughter-in-law Asha Thushar and daughter Vandana Sreekumar.
His daughter is also a member of the Yogam director board. The Trust treasurer is Mr. Natesan’s brother-in-law G. Jayadevan.
He is also the S.N. Medical Mission secretary. Mr. Natesan’s nephew R.K. Das, Mr. Thushar Vellappally, his father-in-law Asoka Panicker, and brother-in-law P.N. Natarajan were members of the Trust executive committee.
Not just the followers of Sree Narayana Guru, but the people at large should realise this, Mr. Achuthanandan said.