KOCHI: The Central Administrative Tribunal, Ernakulam Bench, on Tuesday set aside the state government’s order appointing Dr. B. Ashok, Principal Secretary to the Government (Agriculture) and Agricultural Production Commissioner, as Chairman and Managing Director of the Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation.
The Tribunal issued the order on a petition filed by Dr. Ashok, challenging the decision of the General Administration (AIS) Department that displaced him from the post of Principal Secretary (Agriculture) and appointed Tinku Biswal in his place.
The petitioner argued that, since he was being appointed to a post carrying a pay scale lower than that of his cadre post, the order violated the AIS (Cadre) Rules.
The petitioner pointed out that the Tribunal had earlier set aside the state government's order posting him as Chairperson of the Local Self-Government Reforms Commission.
The Bench had held that the power can be exercised only by the Central Government with the consent of B Ashok. Even after this order, the Chief Secretary to Government of Kerala has been continuing to take a vindictive attitude against him even by refusing to give him a clean Vigilance Clearance Report in relation to his request June 11, 2025 so that he could apply for deputation to the post of Chief Controller, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC), Department of Space in the Government of India.
Such refusal to grant timely and proper Vigilance Clearance despite the fact that there had not been any cases from the Vigilance angle or disciplinary proceedings pending against the applicant speaks volumes as to the malice entertained by the Chief Secretary, he added.