Social Welfare Department may seek extension

THIRUVANANTHAPUIRAM: A solution to the crisis in the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare is likely to be delayed further with its general body meeting unlikely to be held before April 21, the date fixed by the High Court. The Court had on March 27 asked the State Government to convene the general body meeting within three weeks to seek its mandate on the disqualification of the standing committee members of the Council. The State Government had in January this year disqualified the executive committee members of the council on charges of carrying out an illegal construction on the Council building. The government had also nominated two members to the committee following which the ousted members approached the High Court. Sources said the Social Welfare Department is planning to approach the Court seeking an extension of ten days.  It is learnt that the Department’s plans went awry as the bylaw of the Council stipulates a prior notice of 15 days before convening the general body meeting. According to the bylaw, the members have to be sent the notice and agenda of the meeting before 15 days. The final list is learnt to have 1,718 members plus 20 ex-officio members.Foul Play AllegedThe general body meeting has courted a new controversy with the ousted general secretary P Krishnan alleging that around 1,000 persons were illegally inducted in the voters’ list. ‘’The voters’ list only has only 850 genuine members. The rest were illegally included at the behest of the State Government to sabotage the administration of the council,’’ he said.  Krishnan said there were only 833 members when the last elections were held in February 2010. ‘’During the two-year tenure of our committee, we had included only 47 members. I suspect foul play in the issue,’’ he said. Krishnan also said he had sent a complaint in this regard to the Social Welfare Department.