Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 21 (IANS) The eight-day penultimate session of the 12th Kerala assembly began on a tumultuous note Tuesday as the Congress-led opposition forced the winding up of the proceedings for the day over a scam, minutes after the question hour.
The opposition members came near Speaker K. Radhakrishnan and demanded the sacking of Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran over the recent job scam.
The opposition sought leave for an adjournment motion to discuss the scam in which eight people were allegedly found to have secured a job in the revenue department without getting the clearance from the state Public Service Commission (PSC).
Moving the motion, senior Congress legislator Thiruvanachoor Radhakrishnan asked Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to ensure that he boots out Rajendran and order a judicial inquiry into the scam.
‘This scam has surfaced when lakhs of educated unemployed are waiting to get a government job. Reports have come out that similar scams surfaced in other departments also and it has happened with the knowledge of even the ministers,’ Radhakrishnan said.
While pointing out that the opposition is behaving in the expected manner, Achuthanandan said the Kerala Congress is trying to divert the attention off the numerous scams that have surfaced in Delhi.
‘We immediately acted by arresting the people behind the scam. You are just playing politics. You are trying to cover up the scams in Delhi by trivial issues. You can please go ahead with what you have planned and we will support you,’ he added.
Dissatisfied by Achuthanandan’s attitude, Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy said that not only have people got jobs illegally, they have managed to even fraudulently get police verification certificates – which is another grave issue.
‘Please understand that 4.5 million educated unemployed are registered in employment exchanges here and the maximum number of government jobs that come up in a year is a mere 25,000,’ Chandy said.
‘Your government last week decided to hand over all the jobs in universities to the PSC, but at the University of Calicut, certain jobs have been advertised and they are waiting to be filled up on the sly. This is grave injustice and hence we demand the ouster of Rajendran and that a judicial probe be ordered,’ he added.
The Speaker rejected the move for the motion. The entire opposition took position near him in the well of the house and shouted slogans demanding the minister’s ouster.
When the slogan-shouting persisted, Radhakrishnan adjourned the house for the day.
Assembly elections are due next year in Kerala.
