Kollam: The Kollam district committee of the CPM has criticised the move to appoint tainted former managing director of Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation K.A. Ratheesh in the key position of ConsumerFed.
The move to appoint a person facing a CBI probe on corruption allegation in the cashew purchase deals while he was the MD of the cashew corporation was a grave mistake, the committee observed.
The district committee convened to discuss the mistake-correction document by the party state committee also opined that the move helped only to face accusations that the party has gone out of the way to appoint a tainted officer.
Reinstating Mr Ratheesh as the executive director of Kerala Institute for Entreprene-urship Development (KIED) in Kalamasseri had earlier earned brickbats for the government. The industries department, however, ignored the fact that he is an accused in the case to give him the appointment.
Mr Ratheesh is the second accused in a corruption case that shook KSCDC which involved more than Rs 500 crore which currently being investigated by the CBI. He is facing an inquiry on corruption in the cashew deals during his tenure at the corporation.
The previous UDF government had appointed Mr. Ratheesh with the KIED after removing him from KSCDC. E.P. Jayarajan who took over as the industries minster of the LDF government cancelled the appointment but he was reinstated when A.C. Moideen replaced Mr Jayarajan.
