Thiruvananthapuram: The finance inspection wing (FIW) has detected massive corruption in Kerala Coir Workers Welfare Fund Board and recommended suspension of former chief executive officer M. Abdul Salim and recovery of illegal earnings from former chairman A. K. Rajan. It also recommended a vigilance enquiry against the two.
Diverting about Rs 5.7 core from the pension fund to a fixed deposit and hiring a car owned by the chairman’s wife are the main charges against them.
A charge memo was also served on Mr Salim, who is now serving as personnel and administration manager at Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals in Alappuzha.
According to the FIW report, Rs 5.72 crore of the funds allotted by the government for giving pension to coir workers in 2014 was diverted to fixed deposits in two banks.
As per government norms, funds from the government should not be deposited in fixed deposits and violation of it would attract penalty at the rate of 18 percent of the amount for the deposit period.
The FIW report also said that the chairman's wife owned a vehicle hired for his use and the maximum kilometre for the vehicle was reduced to 1,500 from 2,000 so as to earn an additional benefit, causing a loss of Rs 1.59 lakh to the welfare fund board.
Though DC tried to contact both Mr Rajan and Mr Salim to get their versions on the charges, they were not available.
