MYSURU: Prof Ram Rajasekharan, director, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), has been transferred.
His tenure as the chief of the premier science institute was marred by controversies over his alleged anti-Kannada attitude.
Pro-Kannada activists had been demanding for his transfer for more than a year now. In his new position, he will be director (Special Projects and Initiatives), at CSIR headquarters in New Delhi with responsibility to advice and assist the DG, CSIR in various themes connected to national programmes, said a memorandum issued by CSIR. Dr Jithendra Jadhav, director, CSIR-NAL, Bengaluru, is given additional charge as director of CSIR-CFTRI, until further orders.
When contacted, Ram declined to speak. It was not clear whether it was a routine transfer or was effected over allegations. There are also speculations about Ram himself seeking a transfer and also being shunted out for his failure to create a good working atmosphere in the institute.
Ram was accused of ill-treating some staff members who are locals and suspending two of them for allegedly taking up the ‘cause of Kannada’.
The staff members had held a press conference against Ram who had ordered to close down an office of a Kannada association which was functioning within the CFTRI premises for many years.
Ram had maintained that the two were suspended for their conduct which goes against service rules while Kannada activists had accused him of vengeance.
Two months ago, Kannada Development Authority chairman S G Siddramaiah had visited CFTRI and had set a 15-day deadline to Ram to mend his ways and create an atmosphere in the institute where locals are treated properly, besides revoking the suspension of two locals and the director had promptly done it.