The State Cabinet is understood to have decided to cancel Kerala State Institute of Children's Literature (KSICL) director Rubin D'Cruz's appointment to the post.
According to sources in government, the Cabinet took the decision at its meeting here on Thursday on the basis of a proposal submitted by the Department of Culture. The decision comes in the wake of a campaign unleashed by the Congress-led union at the institute accusing Mr. D'Cruz of ‘Marxistisation' of the institution.
Several leading writers in Malayalam had called upon Chief Minister Oommen Chandy not to go ahead with the move to remove Mr. D'Cruz from the post given his track record on the job and the fact that he was brought in from the National Book Trust (NBT) by the last government and later confirmed in service. Under him, the institute had set new benchmarks in children's book publication in the language and lifted its turnover to Rs. 2.56 crore between 2007 and 2011, almost equivalent to the turnover during the previous quarter century, they had pointed out.
The government has, however, taken the stand that he was appointed to the post without observing all the criteria for selection, particularly that he did not possess a teaching degree or teaching experience as required under the norms. It has also been looking at the allegation that there were irregularities in the postings and promotions at the institute during the tenure of the last government.
When contacted, Mr. D' Cruz said that he had not been served with any notice or heard from anyone in government about the reported move to dispense with his services. He was moving the Kerala High Court against the Cabinet's reported decision, Mr. D'Cruz said.
