Reply letter to CM: Governor says temporary VC appointment will not be cancelled

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor R.V. Arlekar has rejected the Chief Minister's demand to cancel the appointment of temporary Vice-Chancellors in technical and digital universities. The Governor has written a reply to the Chief Minister, stating that the VCs were appointed in accordance with the Supreme Court order and there is no need to review this.

"The appointments are not in violation of the Supreme Court order, nor are they against its substance. Therefore, there is no need to cancel them," the Governor pointed out in his reply to the letter sent by the Chief Minister, which said that the appointments are not in accordance with the law and should be cancelled. The Chief Minister's demand was that the Governor's action was against the substance of the Supreme Court order and that those from the government's panel should be appointed.

However, the Governor's position is that the Supreme Court order did not say that the VC should be appointed from the government's panel and that the Governor has been authorised to re-appoint the current VCs. The Governor will inform the Supreme Court when the case is considered again on the 13th that Dr Ciza Thomas (Digital) and Dr K Sivaprasad (Technology) have been reappointed as interim VCs. The government will also inform its position.

Chief Minister may meet the Governor again

• The Chief Minister had also written another letter to the Governor asking for time to meet Ministers P. Rajeev and R. Bindu. The Governor replied that the ministers could come to Raj Bhavan and meet him today. The Chief Minister is also likely to meet the Governor along with the ministers

• The Governor had summoned the Chief Secretary of the Higher Education Department, Sharmila Mary Joseph, who had written to the Governor requesting that the VC appointments be cancelled and be appointed from the government panel, to Raj Bhavan yesterday. However, she did not go as the government did not give permission.

Arif Khan in the capital

Bihar Governor Arif Muhammad Khan arrived in the capital yesterday. He came to attend the wedding of the son of an officer who was a security inspector when he was the Governor of Kerala. Arif Muhammad Khan also has several private visits. He is staying at the Raj Bhavan and will return tomorrow.