Seeds of corruption: Suspension of husband, wife turns a surprise
Additional directors of seed development authority were suspended for procuring inferior quality seeds from private companies.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The suspension of husband-wife duo Ashok Kumar Thekkan and P. K. Beena, additional directors of Kerala State Seed Development Authority, on Thursday has surprised many. Agriculture Minister V. S. Sunil Kumar suspended them for procuring inferior quality seeds from private companies. Mr Thekkan had sought voluntary retirement while he was director of Project, Planning and Monitoring (PPM) cell, after which he was appointed as additional director at KSSDA.
Several agriculture department officials in the rank of assistant directors, deputy directors and agriculture offices under KSSDA have also come under a cloud and are facing Vigilance inquiry. Mr Sunil Kumar had earlier removed Mr Thekkan as agriculture director in July last following a Vigilance probe against him in connection with the irregularities in the procurement of fresh coconut. In the latest suspension order, Mr Sunil Kumar said that the dealings during 2006–2017 at the KSSDA would be probed, pointing fingers at the then agriculture minister, Mullakkara Ratnakaran.
It was during the previous LDF government’s tenure in 2006 when Mr Mullakkara appointed Mr Thekkan. He was involved in discrepancies in coconut procurement as managing director at Kerafed when he imported inferior quality coconuts from other states and sold them here at inflated price. “Thekkan was protected by leaders cutting across political affiliations. Despite the Vigilance department recommending action against him, the previous UDF government asked him to file a report. He gave a ‘clean chit’ to himself and filed a report,” said another official. Mr Thekkan had previously served as CEO of Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council and managing director of Kerala State Coconut Development Corporation Limited.