THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of ending the standoff between the state government and the Public Service Commission, a PSC delegation led by chairman K S Radhakrishnan will meet Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday.
According to sources in the PSC, the Chief Minister has given time to meet the delegation at 7.30 pm.
On Tuesday, in the Commission sitting the detailed report submitted by the sub-committee was considered. The general feeling that evolved in the meeting was to end the confrontation with the government as it was essential for the smooth functioning of the PSC.
At the same time, the members wanted to maintain the stand that being a Constitutional institution PSC could not allow the Financial Inspection Wing of the Secretariat to conduct the investigation.
Meanwhile, the sub-committee in its report has made it clear that there was diversion of fund worth `4.93 crore from the Office Expense head of the Commission utilised for other purposes. While in some cases there had been Commission’s approval for such expenses, in several cases there was no official sanction from the Commission to spend the amount from the Office Expense Head.“It is in clear violation of the financial principles to divert fund from office expense head for other purposes. In certain cases, if an external inquiry is conducted, the people concerned behind such decisions would have to answer for the lapses,” a source in the PSC said on terms of anonymity.“It is an open secret that some kind of financially irresponsible acts had committed. You may call it diversion of funds or misappropriation. It has to checked in future,” a PSC member told ‘Express’ on condition of anonymity.
It has been pointed out that by December 2014, the Office Expense Head of the PSC had completely been dried out following irresponsible manner in which the non-Plan fund was utilised. Following this, there was dues worth `6.75 crore was accumulated pushing the Commission into a financial crunch.