The United Democratic Front has decided to hold talks among the coalition partners for filling up vacancies in the Malabar and Cochin Devaswom Boards and the posts of Vice-Chancellors in six universities, along with issues related to elections in 14 district cooperative banks.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala will hold discussions with the leaders of coalition partners, UDF convener P.P. Thankachan told a press conference soon after a meeting of the high-power committee of the front here on Monday. With regard to appointments of Vice-Chancellors, the UDF made it clear that the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s regulations related to qualifications would be strictly adhered to.
He said that appointments of Vice-Chancellors could not be made on the basis of community and other considerations. At the same time, the selection process could not be left entirely to officials and the UDF would politically verify the names recommended for these posts.
Mr. Thankachan said the Chief Minister would meet his Karnataka counterpart seeking a humanitarian approach with regard to providing medical treatment to incarcerated People’s Democratic Party leader Abdul Nasir Maudany. The UDF discussed the report of its sub-committee on Pariyaram Medical College. Accordingly, it had been decided to complete the process of examining the issue of bogus membership. The Registrar of Cooperatives would be directed to expedite his report so as to complete the process by December 31.
He said a government takeover of the college would be unnecessary once the bogus voters were weeded out because the incumbent administrative committee would lose its mandate.
