A day after the Kerala High Court directed the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to consider the maintainability of petitions filed by senior IAS officer B. Ashok, who had challenged the State government transferring him from the post of Principal Secretary, Agriculture, and the Agricultural Production Commissioner, the tribunal on Tuesday deleted the Governor’s name as a respondent in the case.
This was after Mr. Ashok’s counsel informed the CAT that she did not propose to draw the litigation to a different level, between the government and the Governor, and instead preferred to confine to the core issue regarding his transfer.
The government had filed a preliminary objection before the Ernakulam Bench of the CAT on Monday, stating that the impleading of the Governor as a respondent was constitutionally impermissible and unsustainable in law. In the present case, the State government was the proper party, the government said.
The High Court held on Monday that the tribunal had to first decide on the issue of the Governor being arrayed as a respondent in the case.
The CAT went on to admit Mr. Ashok’s plea challenging his appointment as Principal Secretary, Personnel and Administrative Reforms. The tribunal will hear the matter and also a case pertaining to the same matter that had been filed before it by the Kerala IAS Officers’ Association in 2023 on September 29. Till then, the court permitted Mr. Ashok to continue as the Agricultural Production Commissioner.
In 2023, the Kerala IAS Officers’ Association and two IAS officers, including Mr. Ashok, had challenged before the CAT the appointment of non-IAS officers in the cadre posts of IAS personnel, the transfer and posting of IAS officers without the recommendation of the Civil Services Board, and also without adhering to the minimum tenure policy specified in the IAS (Cadre) Rules.
Published – September 23, 2025 07:09 pm IST