B Ashok likely to challenge transfer order, set for fresh legal battle

In what could trigger another round of litigation, senior IAS officer B Ashok (IAS:1998:KL) is preparing to approach the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) against the Kerala government’s decision to remove him from the post of Agriculture Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department.

Ashok, who is on leave till September 8, is reportedly unwilling to assume his new assignment as Chairman of the Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC), a deputation role to which he was shifted. The post has now been filled by Tinku Biswal (IAS:1997:KL), who has also taken charge as Agriculture Production Commissioner.

The transfer comes against the backdrop of a controversy surrounding the diversion of World Bank funds earmarked for the Kerala Climate Resilient Agri-Value Chain Modernization (KERA) Project. The Agriculture Department opposed the Finance Department’s decision to reallocate the funds, sparking tensions within the government.

The row escalated after a World Bank email related to the fund diversion was leaked to the media. Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, K M Abraham, flagged the issue and directed an inquiry. Ashok, tasked with the probe, concluded that the email could not have been leaked from the Agriculture Department and suggested that the source may have been higher up, even pointing toward the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Soon after the report was submitted, Ashok was transferred from the Agriculture Department. This is not the first time he has challenged a reassignment—his earlier posting as Chairman of the Kerala State Local Self-Government Reforms Commission was quashed by CAT following his appeal.

With Ashok gearing up for another legal battle, the case is expected to ignite a prolonged tussle over administrative autonomy, accountability, and the handling of sensitive files in the state government.

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