THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) Executive Vice President V N Rajasekharan Pillai, who is facing a CBI probe, is allegedly lobbying for a top post at the Centre.
However, speaking to ‘Express’ Pillai categorically denied any such move, on his part. According to reliable sources, Pillai has the blessings of some functionaries in the Swadeshi Science Movement, a pro-Sangh Parivar organisation.
However, there is strong opposition from within the parivar against the move. Detractors point out that Pillai had landed in controversies whenever he assumed high profile positions in the state and Centre.
It is learnt that Pillai met top leaders in the BJP and the Union Government in this regard, but hid his antecedents regarding allegations of corruption, including the one being probed by CBI.
Sources said Pillai is keen on getting the post of Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister or the post of the Advisor to the Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD).
What is in favour of Pillai, are his stints as the Director NAAC and Vice chairman of UGC during the first NDA regime. He would have made it to the post of Chairman, UGC, had it not been for an intervention by Governor Sukhdev Singh Kang, who pointed out that Pillai was facing a case in connection with the Cheruvandoor land acquisition.
Later, the Kerala High Court gave a clean chit to Pillai quashing the Governor’s order. Pillai was appointed the Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, after entering the good books of the previous UPA Government.
Pillai said he is not aware of the current status of the CBI probe against him. “The case was registered in 2011. I don’t know what is the current status of the case,” he told ‘Express.’ Pillai faced allegations of corruption during his stint as IGNOU Vice chancellor and Chairman of the Distance Education Council. It was alleged that he abused his official position and granted approval to two private universities based in Jalandhar and Gangtok for running courses in distance education mode, ignoring the deficiencies pointed out by the Expert committee during 2009. CBI had found that the two private universities had amassed income worth `1600 crore in five years by conducting courses under Distance education mode.
Raids were conducted at the residences of Pillai at Thiruvananthapauram and documents related to property and investments were seized.
The Finance Inspection wing of the state government in July 2013 had found irregularities in the appointments made by the KSCSTE. The inspection report, a copy of which has been accessed by ‘Express’, also recommended recovering the salaries paid to persons who were appointed flouting rules. The Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) had also recommended the government to order a vigilance probe into the irregular appointments.