THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The role played by V S Achuthanandan in making yet another appointment in haste could come under a cloud. Industries and IT Minister P K Kunhalikutty in a note to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy a few weeks back has voiced reservations about the undue haste shown by the former chief minister in choosing a director for the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Kerala in a matter of two days.The decision to appoint Mahesh CI as the director of CERT-K (additional charge) to head a specialised team to counter cyber attacks and cyber terrorism in the state is sure to kick up a row in the coming days.Mahesh first moved his application to Secretary, IT department - a post then held by K Suresh Kumar - on December 24, 2010. This comes exactly two weeks after the incumbent director, N Krishnan requests on December 10 to be relieved from his post as Director, CERT-K that was for just over eight months, since his appointment to the newly set up nodal agency to monitor cyber security related matters, on April 3, 2010.Commenting on the “lightning efficiency” with which the file was moved to accept the resignation of Krishnan and the appointment of Mahesh, the note says, “The entire selection process of Mahesh was done in two days. The (CERT-K) request for appointment of Mahesh was received by the IT secretary on Jan 6, 2011 and on the same day it was forwarded to the Chief Minister who cleared it the very next day.”It was on January 5, 2011 that it was decided by CERT-K that Krishnan’s request to be relieved may be accepted and till such time that the services of another senior scientist from the IT department, govt of India is not spared as full-time director, an expert may be posted on additional charge. A day later, Mahesh’s application was moved and cleared.Kunhalikutty confirmed to this reporter that he had sent the note to the CM two months back. “I don’t know whether the CM has referred the matter already to the Vigilance department. I found (the appointment) full of irregularities,” he said.“A job that should go to a very senior scientist, who should be an expert in emerging frontier technology and challenges of cyber terrorism has gone to a mere diploma holder in computer applications and that too at a high salary,’’ Kunhalikutty is understood to have informed the CM in the note.About the alleged haste in his appointment as the director CERT-K, Mahesh said that he had already apprised the CM of everything. “I don’t want to comment on anything to the media as I am holding a responsible post. What have been levelled against me are baseless allegations. Since I have already submitted a letter to the CM, it will not be fair to speak to the media,” he said.There is no record to suggest that Krishnan had recommended Mahesh. He had also not been interviewed by anyone. According to the note, the new director is demanding a salary of Rs 1.25 lakh per month. But no terms and conditions of the salary were discussed and no tax returns or salary certificate was asked for verifying his last salary drawn from a private company.
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