With developments at the Institute of Rural Management-Anand turning murkier by the day, the possibility of an administrator being handed the reins of the squabble-ridden institute is strong.
Sources close to the development said what was preventing the quasi-judicial body headed by the charity commissioner from appointing an administrator is the institute's good image and that, it should not be headed by a civil servant.
But with state government representative Vipul Mittra and central representative J K Mahapatra, both senior IAS officers, walking out of last Friday's board meeting, a message has gone out to the Verghese Kurien camp -- that in spite of their political differences, the Centre and the state have agreed to protect Irma's image.
"Both Mittra, secretary of rural development department of Gujarat, and Mahapatra, who attended the meeting in place of Amar Singh, also joint secretary in the ministry of rural development, had walked out of the board meeting, protesting against Kurien's decision to sack K Prathap Reddy, director of Irma. Their expressions at the board meeting clearly show that Kurien has lost support from both the Centre and the state.
The state government, which had provided land for the Irma campus, is one of the important stakeholders and always can intervene in the issue while the charity commissioner has been vested with powers to take suo motu cognisance in the recent development in Irma and ask the joint charity commissioner to intervene in the administration of the institute as it is registered under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950.
As a quasi-judicial body, under Section 41/A of the Act, the charity commissioner may also consider appointing an administrator to handle the day-to-day activities in Irma," said a senior advocate, close to the development.
Interestingly, the Centre, too, has a say in Irma matters as the institute is also registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
"The state government also has an old wound as far as Kurien is concerned. About a year back, at a public gathering at Anand, Kurien had blasted the chief minister of Gujarat. This had riled chief minister. It will be now interesting to watch how the state government reacts to the developments even as it has cleared its standpoint on the issue as Mittra had signed the circular a few days back, which had termed Reddy's termination illegal," said one Irma board member, questing anonymity.
Ironically, Kurien always claims that he had fought against the Centre's earlier decision to post an IAS officer to head the national dairy development board, which is now being headed by his archrival Amrita Patel.
Appointing an administrator to Irma, who will ideally be an IAS officer, replacing Kurien as 'chairman', can be a major blow to his loyalists.
Bhupendrasinh Chudasma, Gujarat's rural development minister was not available for his comments in spite of repeated attempts made by Business Standard on Sunday, while the Kurien camp stayed away from the media. The Gujarat high court is expected to deliver its judgment on the cases on Tuesday.
