chennai a recruitment controversy is brewing in kalakshetra foundation the premier arts academy of the union ministry of culture a tn government officer whose appointment as deputy director of the foundation was revoked apparently on administrative grounds has obtained a madras high court order against fresh recruitment the post has been lying vacant for more than a year nowbased on a petition by the officer m sankaranarayanan the court has stayed a notification for fresh recruitment that the foundation had issued the petition claims that his appointment was cancelled in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner sankaranarayanan a section officer with the state art and culture department was made deputy director on deputation in august last after a fourmember selection panel including foundation director priyadarshini govind and noted carnatic singer t m krishna endorsed his appointment on july 23 they had noted his good record and good experience of administration and accounts as per kalakshetra documents accessed by toi the governing board of the foundation too approved his appointment on july 29 2015however a fresh selection panel including priyadarsini and acclaimed violinist lalgudi g j r krishnan met on february 9 2016 and chose v srinivasa raghavan undersecretary department of personnel and training new delhi for the post amid allegations that the foundation has shut the doors on a deserving candidate a senior official with the kalakshetra foundation said the first advertisement was found to be not in consonance with the recruitment rule for the post that allows people to be promoted to the post in addition to those who come on deputation based on the foundations query the ministry had advised to go for readvertisement he said incidentally the foundation had requested tn government on august 5 to relieve sankaranarayanan from service to join kalakshetra on deputation for three years on august 27 the foundation issued an order cancelling the appointment without any reason in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner said sankaranarayanan in his petition even as the case is pending before the hc the foundation had issued a second advertisement calling for application to fill up the post he alleged t m krishna who was part of the first committee refused to comment the governing board itself has been reconstituted by the ministry in november last i am in no position to respond as the matter is subjudice he said