IAS Association vs Kerala govt: Row over Excise Commissioner appointment intensifies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The legal dispute between the state government and the IAS Association over the appointment of the Excise Commissioner is intensifying. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had earlier cancelled the appointment of M R Ajith Kumar as Excise Commissioner, stating that only officers from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) can be appointed to IAS cadre posts. Ajith Kumar is an IPS officer.

Following the tribunal’s order, the tax department issued an order removing Ajith Kumar from the post. However, the government handed over the charge to another IPS officer, Additional Excise Commissioner (Administration) J Kishore Kumar. The IAS Association has alleged that this amounts to contempt of court and plans to approach the tribunal on Monday.

Although the responsibility of implementing the court order lies with the Chief Secretary, the order removing Ajith Kumar and handing over charge was issued by the Additional Secretary of the Taxes Department, M V Pramod. The IAS Association is likely to file a contempt petition, making the Taxes Secretary also a party to the case.

The tribunal had earlier stated that posts such as Excise Commissioner, Director General of the Institute of Management in Government (IMG), and Director General of the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) are IAS cadre posts and should be held only by IAS officers. The state government is now planning to temporarily remove Ajith Kumar from the post of Excise Commissioner and approach the Kerala High Court seeking a stay on the tribunal’s order.

Did not follow court order, says IAS Association
The IAS Association said that the government should have appointed an IAS officer as Excise Commissioner after removing Ajith Kumar. Instead, appointing another IPS officer shows that the tribunal’s order has not been properly implemented. Kerala currently has 261 IAS cadre posts, of which 126 are senior posts.

Ajith Kumar can continue in Bevco
Even though Ajith Kumar has been removed from the post of Excise Commissioner, he can continue as the chairman of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco). The managing director of the corporation is IPS officer Harshita Attaluri.

"The post of Excise Commissioner should be given to an IAS officer. Appointing an IPS officer instead shows that the court order has not been implemented."
-B Ashok
IAS Association president