Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected opposition leader V D Satheesan’s allegations regarding financial irregularities and lack of transparency at Kerala Digital University. He stated that the charges were factually incorrect and misleading.In a detailed written reply to a letter sent by Satheesan, chief minister clarified that a statutory audit was being conducted at the university and that audit for 2023-24 financial year was already completed. He further said that the university officially requested comptroller and auditor general (CAG) to undertake further audits and that the next course of action lies with CAG.Dismissing the accusation that a company was secretly set up under the university, CM stated that the company was established in compliance with the stated policy and regulations of digital university. “The formation of the company is not in violation of any norms. It was done with administrative approval of ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) under govt of India,” he wrote.Refuting the claim that advance funds were transferred to I-GEIC (International Graphene and Emerging Innovation Centre), Vijayan said the allegation was baseless. “Calling I-GEIC a fraudulent entity is without any factual basis,” he noted.CM highlighted the credibility of those associated with the company, stating that its chairman is Madhavan Nambiar, a former Union civil aviation secretary. Other key figures include Pathan and Kamesh Gupta, both of whom held senior positions at Tata Steel, and Alex Thomas from digital university.He added that as per the university’s own regulations, faculty members are encouraged to engage in entrepreneurial ventures. “It is clearly stated that research and development can be carried out through non-profit companies in which faculty members are involved,” CM wrote. He further pointed out that, as a modern institution, the university can source funding for faculty salaries and other expenses through the projects they undertake. “Attempts are being made to portray such projects as scams by misrepresenting these facts,” the letter said.
