KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has prohibited government servants from being office-bearers of religious or communal organisations. “Rule 67 A of Kerala Government Servants Conduct Rules prohibits a government servant from being an office-bearer of any religious organisation.
“If a government servant participates and is elected in an election to any body, which is part of a religious organisation or denomination, he/she is occupying a post under the religious organisation. Hence, Rule 67A will apply to that government servant,” held the court. The court also declared that the same rule will apply to holding an office under CSI, Central Kerala diocese, Kottayam.
The court issued the order on a petition filed by K J Philip, secretary, Council for Social Justice, Kottayam, seeking a directive to the state government to prohibit Central Kerala diocese of CSI from allowing full-time government servants from filing nominations and contesting the election to the various bodies of the Church in violation of the rules.
The petitioner said there is a total prohibition on any government servant from becoming an office-bearer of any communal or religious organisation or of such a trust or society. The Church has colleges, schools, hospitals, retreat centres and other non-religious institutions and these are controlled and directed by the elected council.
“For the past several
years, government servants have been contesting the elections to the council. By virtue of their official positions, there are chances of corruption and nepotism under the cover of the council membership.
To curb this, the government had amended the Rule and stated that “no government servant shall be an office-bearer of any communal or religious organisation or of such trust or society,” the petitioner said.