Shipping Ministry likely to initiate action against former IMU VC for recruitment flaws

Chennai:

Shipping Ministry is likely to initiate action against former Vice Chancellor of Indian Maritime University Prof G Raghuram for his role in the irregularities in appointment of 31 faculty in IMU that has stirred up a controversy and a bitter court battle.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Union shipping secretary Vishwapati Trivedi said, “No proper roster system was followed in the appointment of the staff and I am not ruling out action against the selection committee.”

“Even if it comes to initiating action against the former vice-chancellor Prof Raghuram. We are not ruling it out,” said Trivedi while replying to a query from reporters. He also hit out the vice-chancellor and said that the basic problem started with the vice-chancellor abandoning the university. “The vice chancellor suddenly left. As secretary of ministry, I just can’t go back to my cadre next morning. But he did,” said the shipping secretary. 

According to Government of India strictures roster registers are to be maintained for permanent appointments and temporary appointments likely to become permanent or to continue indefinitely.

Interestingly, this statement is contrary to the assurances given by then shipping secretary P K Sinha who gave a clean chit to the appointments in April. “The procedural inadequacies are minor issues. There are no excess recruitment beyond the sanctioned strength and these are in no way violations or irregularities,” he had said while ruling out any cancellation of the recruitment.

When posed a query on what forced former shipping secretary to give a clean chit to the recruitments, Trivedi said that Sinha was impressed by the faculty recruited by Prof Raghuram. “He was not aware of the chief vigilance officer report, which points to the kind of irregularities in the selection of the staff,” he said.

 However, Trivedi evaded queries when reporters questioned him on why the former secretary gave a clean chit to the recruitment of faculty when another enquiry into the irregularities in the appointment was pending.

On the executive committee of IMU terminating the controller of examination B Chithra, he said there were some reports, which were not in her favour.

To a query that the whole issue has left the student in lurch with shortage of staff, Trivedi said the recruitment process will start soon. “My timeline is to give university some time. Within the next 45 days I wish to come here again soon.

He said the post of vice-chancellor and the posts in marine and nautical streams would soon be filled.