New flank opens up against Kurien

K Prathap Reddy, director of the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), has accused the institute's chairman, Varghese Kurien, of trying to "fix" him by levelling unsubstantiated charges against him.

In his explanation before a three-member probe committee, Reddy said the chairman had even snatched away his right to travel outside Gujarat even for IRMA work, and has offered his resignation to the committee.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the committee, which also has been looking into the implications of a notice issued by the Assistant Charity Commissioner, Anand, questioning the validity of Kurien's chairmanship, would submit its first report by March 31.

The first part of the report on reviewing of the governance of IRMA, review of Reddy's performance and initiate steps for appointment of a new director as Reddy's term would be over this August, could be discussed and adopted by the board at its meeting scheduled for April 15.

In his explanation, Reddy also alleged that some IRMA officials were colluding to level charges against him.

"After several unsuccessful attempts to fix the director (Reddy) by levelling charges against him on very minor issues, a circular resolution was sent to the board members on December 14, 2004, seeking delegation of powers to the chairman to replace the director," the explanation said.

Reddy also responded to the main charge of his not taking active interest in organisting the Silver Jubilee Symposium.

"Infact, the director had already been reduced to a by-stander by the chairman's office. The organising committee members and other faculty and staff were dissuaded from meeting the director for planning and organising the Silver Jubilee activities or sharing with him any detail," he alleged.

Saying that he would have liked to be a part of IRMA for some more time, Reddy concluded his explanation saying, "But in the present vitiated atmosphere, I think, it is difficult for me to continue. Having performed the most difficult task of bringing the important causes for the present messy situation in IRMA to the notice of the Committee, I feel, it is time for me to bid farewell to IRMA. I am, therefore, actively considering resigning from IRMA as Director, IRMA after the forthcoming convocation."

Giving an instance of how his official tours outside Gujarat were banned, Reddy in his explanation to V Ramachandran, chairman of the probe committee, said, "Further on my note of February 28, 2005 requesting permission to attend the Board meeting of an organisation in Pune, Chairman wrote, 'what is the status of Mamlatdar's demand for land revenue? Till that is settled you can not leave Anand, on tour.'Actually Chairman approved the tour request but struck it off and wrote the above sentence, perhaps at the behest of Joseph, Executive Assistant to the Chairman."

Reddy also charged Joseph with regular interventions while explaining his standpoint on 'interference in administrative matters of IRMA.'

Reddy, said, "Joseph routinely gives instructions directly to the faculty and staff, without the knowledge of the Director. Joseph had been systematically engaged in creating indiscipline and distrust among the faculty and staff who are called for 'counseling'and threatened to 'fall in line."

When contacted by Business Standard, Joseph said, "I am not willing to comment on the issue." Kurien was also not available for comments.

Besides Ramachandran, Amrita Patel, Chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and Vijay Mahajan, who runs Basix, a micro-finance organisation in southern India, are the two other members of the Committee created after the stormy February 28 board meeting.