Move on to relax age limit for KSITIL finance executive

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Allegations of irregularities have come up in the ongoing process to recruit a finance executive at the Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL), a state-run firm. According to sources, a move is on to relax the age limit prescribed for the post to appoint a candidate. However, KSITIL officials maintained that the matter would be referred to the government. The KSITIL invited applications from commerce graduates in June and the age limit mentioned was below 30 as on May 1. Seven persons got shortlisted from the applicants, including a lady who has been working at KSITIL on contract for the last many years. According to the documents available with DC, the interview was held on September 23.

One candidate did not turn up. Among the other six, the interview board noted that three were not suitable and two did not have sufficient experience.  About the employee of KSITIL, the board noted that her age was above the limit specified in the notification. She was aged 33. But she was awarded highest marks. The KSITIL is now allegedly initiating steps to reappoint her relaxing the age limit.  “The allegation assumed significance since the KSITIL is gearing up to take up many major projects like the Rs 1000 crore KFON,” one of the sources said.

A senior KSITIL official told DC that a final decision was yet to come.  “KSITIL board decided to give relaxation to existing employees. It is true that it was not mentioned in the notification.  But it was not done deliberately. Anyway, it would be referred to the government,” said the official who preferred not to be quoted. A section of candidates alleged that many with high levels of experiences had got rejected in the initial rounds of screening itself because they crossed the age limit. Some had already taken up the matter with the government.