Major bureaucratic shake-up likely in Kerala; B Ashok and N Prasanth will return to Secretariat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With V.D. Satheesan assuming office, there will be a major shake-up at the IAS level in Kerala. Principal Secretary Dr B. Ashok and Secretary N Prasanth, who the LDF government suspended, will have their suspensions revoked and reinstated. Since the Chief Minister issued the suspension orders, VD Satheesan can revoke them without placing them before the cabinet. Both were suspended for publicly expressing their views against the Left government.

Chief Secretary A Jayathilak, whose tenure ends in June, is unlikely to be replaced. Manoj Joshi, a 1989 batch officer on central deputation, might become the state’s new chief secretary. But he has only a few months of service left. Senior Home Secretary Bishwanath Sinha is unlikely to be made Chief Secretary. Sanjeev Kaushik, who belongs to the same batch as Sinha, is coming after a central deputation.

Sinha is also likely to be transferred from the Home Department. Many department secretaries will be transferred. Collectors may also be transferred. An IAS officer will be appointed as Excise Commissioner. There is an order from the Central Administrative Tribunal that an IAS officer should be appointed to this IAS cadre post.