Govt order appointing B Ashok as chairman of Local Self-Government Reforms Commission quashed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government order appointing IAS officer Dr B Ashok as the chairman of Local Self Government Reforms Commission, has been quashed. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) intervened on the plea filed by Ashok.

The CAT pointed that the consent of the officer was not sought when he was appointed to a post outside the cadre and the order appointing him as the chairman of Local Self Government Reforms Commission was made without following the norms.

The CAT had temporarily stayed the government order shifting him to the post of chairman of the Local Self Government Reforms Commission outside the IAS cadre in January. The tribunal, headed by Justice A Haripal and comprising V Rema Mathew, considered the plea filed by Ashok alleging that shifting him was illegal.

The government had informed that the transfer had taken effect and that Tinku Biswal had been given the additional charge of Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department and Agricultural Production Commissioner in place of Ashok, but the tribunal had not accepted it. The final order has now come.

B Ashok is a senior IAS officer in the state. Ashok argued that the government action was in violation of the All-India Service Rules, 1954 and the Deputation Guidelines for IAS officers.