THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After Governor Arif Mohammed Khan resigned as patron of Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW), the executive committee under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan removed his name from the council website. The post of patron has also been removed from the website.
Taking the confrontation between the Raj Bhavan and the LDF government to a new level, Khan had tendered his resignation as patron to the chief secretary around three months ago. And the government’s reaction came on August 2.
The matter came to light on Thursday when Khan told the media that he would ask the government to inquire into the complaints raised against the council. “I have received numerous complaints. They are of a serious nature. I had sent them to the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare and they advised me to disassociate with the council. I suggested that until all allegations are addressed, the governor’s name should not be used as patron,” he said. Khan received many petitions against the KSCCW related to its functioning and alleged misappropriation of funds.
Sources close to him said Khan forwarded the complaints to the chief secretary for consideration, but no action was taken. Then, Khan informed the chief secretary about his decision to disassociate with the council. The final bolt came after the Union ministry’s intimation advising Khan to ask the government not to use his name as patron.
In a statement, KSCCW state general secretary G L Arun Gopi refuted the charges. “The governor’s demand came in the wake of a CBI probe against Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW). Since KSCCW is an affiliated organisation of ICCW, he wanted to disassociate with it,” he said. Gopi said KSCCW was formed by the Kerala government.
It decided to affiliate with ICCW while working with the Cnetre’s support. “After considering the governor’s apprehensions, the executive committee meeting held on August 2 under the chairmanship of the CM decided to end all relations with ICCW. Its income and expenditure are being audited by the representatives of the executive committee and the general body,” the statement said.