Thiruvananthapuram: Amid the recent spotlight on the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) over alleged irregularities by student leaders in a police recruitment test, a state government employee who had commenced career with a last-grade rank has managed to make it to the shortlist for a senior-level post even as he was about to be sacked over fake credentials.
The PSC had recommended for his service termination after it was found that he had submitted forged LLB certificates while he was appointed as a legal assistant. Apparently, this lucky candidate for a better position, as a deputy secretary, happens to be a leader of an employee union affiliated to a Left party and had worked as a security guard and peon early in his spectacular career!
The employee who is under scanner had got into the Kerala Government Service initially through direct recruitment. Later it was found that he had committed fraud over his educational qualification and the PSC subsequently recommended his dismissal. However, no action was taken against him and was given double promotion and made an under secretary. Now, he has been included in the select list for deputy secretary with obvious blessings from political masters for likely favours done as an employee leader.
The new list was prepared even as widespread protests were raised against allowing a staff, who violated service norms and was involved in criminal offence, to continue in service.
The norms require an employee to have a minimum of three years of service in the current post before the recruitment to another post. However, this employee does not have the said experience. The legal assistant became an under secretary within just two years and is now all set to be deputy secretary! Moreover, he had started out as a security employee at the Medical College Hospital and as peon in 2004. He then reached the Secretariat as a last-grade employee and then managed to reach the post of under secretary.
His personal records state that he had got a Law degree from the Bharati Vidyapeeth, a deemed university, in Pune. However, it was found that during the time he was supposed to be studying at the college as a regular student, he had been working with the Kerala government and duly getting his salary. Soon, the PSC gave in the recommendation to remove him from service.
Another fraud
Meanwhile, the Vigilance is also checking the basic qualification of another employee leader, who was appointed as an assistant at the Public Administration Department of the Secretariat. He became an assistant while he was working as a typist and as per the service records he has holds only the Secondary School Leaving Certificate.
Records state he later took a graduation degree, but there is no reference to or proof of clearing the pre-degree course. The Vigilance is probing how he got the degree certificate without first clearing the pre-degree. It is suspected in his case too the degree certificate is fake.
Recently, it was reported that the appointment of Office Assistants and Legal Assistants in the Secretariat is under a cloud as it was found that unfit candidates were recruited.
Candidates who had secured poor marks in a PSC test were appointed as legal assistants with likely blessings from the employee associations of the ruling left
parties. The administrative department and the government likely turned a blind eye for the benefit of undeserving candidates.