KOCHI: The Ernakulam Bench of the Kerala Administrative Tribunal on Wednesday sought the view of the State Government on a petition challenging the decision to constitute Kerala Administrative Service. The petitioners also sought a directive to quash the decision to include Secretariat - Administration Department and Secretariat - Finance Department in KAS.
The petition was filed by Kerala Secretariat Association, Kerala Finance Secretariat Association and other staff in the Secretariat. The petitioners said the secretariat service and staff were neither included nor considered by the committees appointed to study the feasibility of the proposed state civil service. The government had clarified while approving the recommendations no decision has been taken to include secretariat service in civil service.
The petitioners said the order on inclusion of the secretariat service was issued without considering any of the reports of the committees constituted for the purpose. Apart from it, the government had already constituted the Administrative Reforms Commission with a view to improve the state administrative system, review the structure and functioning of the administrative machinery and suggest measures for improving its responsiveness. The order was issued in absolute haste, the petition said.