State government issues orders posting B. Ashok as Principal Secretary, Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department

In a surprising move, the State government on Monday issued orders posting IAS officer B. Ashok as Principal Secretary of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (P&ARD). According to a General Administration Department (GAD) order, his appointment will come into effect from September 17.

The September 15 GAD order posting Mr. Ashok as Principal Secretary, P&ARD, comes while a stay is in operation on an earlier government order appointing him as Managing Director, Kerala Transport Development and Finance Corporation (KTDFC).

The Ernakulam Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had, through an interim order earlier this month, stayed a government order transferring the 1998 batch IAS officer from his post as Principal Secretary, Agriculture, and Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) and posting him as KTDFC MD.

CAT had also posted the matter for hearing on September 16. While staying the government order, CAT had directed that Mr. Ashok continue to hold his earlier posts of Principal Secretary, Agriculture, and APC.

Urging CAT to dismiss Mr. Ashok’s application challenging the posting in the KTDFC, the State government had termed his objections “misconceived, factually misleading and legally untenable.” In transferring him, it had acted strictly within its powers under the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, the IAS (Pay) Rules, 2016, and other relevant laws and rules, the government said. Interestingly, the government had also stated that it was considering posting Mr. Ashok in a cadre post other that of APC and Principal Secretary, Agriculture.

The September 15 GAD order said that Tinku Biswal, a 1997 batch officer, will be the new Principal Secretary, Local Self-Governments.