Thiruvananthapuram: The Registrar of Cooperative Societies has ordered immediate deduction of excess salary and other monetary benefits illegally given to the employees of the CPM-ruled district cooperative banks just before merging it in the newly formed Kerala Bank.
The audit report by the Cooperative Department had found that serious irregularities were committed by these district cooperative banks while granting out-of-turn benefits and promotion to the staff, violating the existing norms. Based on the audit report, the Registrar issued the orders to the Kerala Bank for immediate corrective steps.
Watchdog's action
The Registrar of Cooperative Societies also instructed the Kerala Bank to deduct from the employees the excess salary they have got. The bank was also told to refix their promotion this year itself.
The Registrar has asked the Kerala Bank to form a special cell to suggest ways to rectify the irregularities found in the auditing and submit a report regarding this to the department at the earliest.
Norms flouted to enrich employees
There were widespread irregularities reported in the salary-fixation and granting of other benefits to the staff while merging 13 district cooperative banks, except the Malappuram District Cooperative Bank, with the Kerala bank. Many undeserving employees were promoted to the post of part-time sweepers, 31 junior accountants and assistant managers, violating norms.
Many job-seekers waiting for appointments to these posts through the PSC have lost their chance because of the politically motivated move by the rulers of the district cooperative banks. By violating the basic norm that the increment cannot be added to an employee's basic pay, lakhs of rupees were illegally given to many employees of the bank.
Verification of credentials made strict
The certificates of the new recruits in the cooperative banks will be verified in the wake of widespread complaints about fake certificates being used for getting jobs.
The Registrar of Cooperative Societies has ordered that the original certificates be cross-checked with the true copies of the recruitees. But the rule is not made applicable to those who have been already employed in the cooperative sector.
There are allegations that many staff have got promotions and salary hikes using the fake certificates received from some of the blacklisted open universities and distance education centres.
