THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite Power Minister K Krishnankutty’s assurance of no vindictive action, the KSEBL on Thursday slapped a whopping Rs 6.72 lakh fine on agitating KSEB Officers’ Association (KSEBOA) president for allegedly using deparment vehicle for personal use. KSEBOA head M G Suresh Kumar was fined for the alleged offence while he was additional private secretary to former power minister M M Mani.
Krishnankutty on Wednesday had said no vindictive action would be taken against functionaries of the KSEBOA. However, the order issued by KSEBL chairman and MD B Ashok — based on an allegation raised by retired senior assistant K K Surendran who is a relative of Krishnankutty — drew flak from Mani as well as the state CITU committee.
The order by Ashok said Suresh misused the board’s official vehicle by visiting his hometown Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode from Thiruvananthapuram multiple times while employed under the previous LDF government’s tenure. He has been asked to repay Rs 6,72,560 as fuel charge and fine within 21 days for travelling 48,640km in the car. Suresh has been given 10 days to prove that the charges against him are false. The order said the money will be recovered from his salary in 12 instalments if he fails to pay it.
Surendran, a Palakkad native who owed allegiance to Kerala Electricity Employees Confederation told reporters on Thursday that he had filed an RTI query in 2019 seeking details of Suresh’s trips from Thiruvananthapuram to his hometown.
Mani backs former aide, min feigns ignorance
“I got the reply in January this year. The query was filed before Krishnankutty became power ministers and is not politically motivated. Vigilance officials had taken my statements in February,” he said. Terming the action against him vindictive, Suresh told TNIE that KSEB transmission and system operation director Rajan Joseph forwarded the CMD’s notice to him on Thursday. “I went on deputation at then minister Mani’s office during the previous government’s tenure. It is the power department that should probe whether I misused the government vehicle. This vindictive action being taken against me just because I led the protests against the CMD under the aegis of KSEBOA,” he said.
Backing his former trusted aide, Mani said the CMD’s action lacked propriety. “Ashok is acting against Suresh as he is the KSEBOA office-bearer who led the protests. I now want to know whether there has been any probe into the vehicles being used by the chairman and minister. If so, I too will be fined as I used the government’s as well as the board’s vehicle,” he said.
Feigning ignorance over the developments, Krishnankutty said it was the board’s discretion to take action against guilty persons. Meanwhile, the State CITU committee headed by general secretary Elamaram Kareem too back Suresh and flayed Ashok’s vindictive stand. CITU feels embarrassed as it believes that targeting Suresh has indirectly defamed Mani.
Turn of events
H6,72,560 amount KSEBOA president Suresh Kumar asked to pay as fuel charge and fine within 21 days for travelling 48,640km in the board’s vehicle.
The CMD’s order said the money will be recovered from his salary in 12 instalments if he fails to pay it.
Suresh says vindictive action is being taken against him as he led the protests against the CMD under the aegis of KSEBOA