In battle against VS,Cong weapon is his son

Arunkumar barely evaded suspension last week after the education department and the Accountant General had found serious irregularities in his promotions and in the way he was running a finishing school for graduates. The government eventually decided to delay action until the end of the ongoing probes.

The Congress had picked up the potential weapon early this year,before the elections,using the son to attack VS — who responded by reopening scandals involving leaders of the UDF. Achuthanandan challenged his rivals,saying he would order a probe against his son if the charges were given in writing. Then Opposition leader Oommen Chandy listed 11 allegations.

These include an alleged bid to prevent a CBI probe into the illegal lottery business; a charge that he had taken a bribe from a sandalwood dealer; alleged forgery of an experience certificate to apply for a university’s PhD programme; pleasure trips abroad; alleged misuse of power as managing director of government-owned Coirfed; an allegation by technocrat K P P Nambiar that Arunkumar had sought a commission for government sanction to a power project; membership in elite clubs; and links with self-styled business consultant Nandakumar. The Congress bunched all these together.

The Lokayukta was asked to look into this battery of charges. But after the UDF assumed power,the government argued that the Lokayukta does not have the authority to look into the cases against Arunkumar as the IHRD does not come under its purview. The Lokayukta accepted the government stand and the entire dossier was handed over to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.

In the meantime,Congress legislator P C Vishnunath has told the Assembly that VS made Arunkumar the director of the newly formed ICT,an IT-related academy under the IHRD,during the run-up to the elections,and that this violated several norms. VS denied it,Vishunath stuck to the allegation,and the Speaker formed a panel of Assembly members.

Former additional chief secretary T Balakrishnan has told the panel that Arunkmar’s appointment was against norms. The academy was registered as a charitable society under the IHRD with the then chief minister as chairman and his son as director. The appointment was made soon after a letter seeking permission to start the academy had been submitted to the Union Finance Ministry. The panel is expected to complete its probe within the next three months.

According to K M Shajahan,who was VS’s additional private secretary during his previous stint as Opposition leader,“Arunkumar’s activities could lead to Achuthanandan’s downfall as a fighter against corruption. The charges are serious. Rivals in the party are following everything,hoping to see Achuthanandan’s undoing. VS too had overlooked his son’s illegal dealings.”

When Achuthanandan was handling the IT department,his son was made director of a finishing school jointly set up by the IT and education departments. “There were procedural violations in the transfer of funds from the IT department to the school. It looked like an arrangement between father and son,” said Shajahan.

Another headache for Arunkumar will be the AG’s finding that he was given out-of-turn promotions in the IHRD. Since he joined as assistant director in 1998,he has had four promotions. Some others,too,were promoted,allegedly because they had raised objections.

Arunkumar’s application for a PhD registration was rejected by the university on the ground that he had submitted false information on his teaching experience.

“Let the government probe. I will react only in the court. Being a government employee,I cannot react to the political controversies,’’ said Arunkumar. He had sought quashing of the vigilance probe but failed to win an order in his favour from the High Court.