The Kerala High Court on Monday (September 22, 2025) asked the Ernakulam Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to first rule on the maintainability of petitions filed by senior IAS officer B Ashok (IAS:1998:KL), who contested his transfer from Principal Secretary (Agriculture) and Agricultural Production Commissioner.
A Division Bench of Justice Nithin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji observed that CAT must clarify whether the Governor could be made a party in such proceedings. The directive came while the court was hearing the State government’s plea against CAT’s interim stay on Mr. Ashok’s transfer.
The government had shifted him as CMD of Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) and later posted him as Chairperson of the Local Self-Government Reforms Commission. Opposing the stay, the State argued that transfers are part of service conditions, officers cannot claim a permanent right to any post, and that the petitions were defective as the Governor had been added as a respondent.
Mr. Ashok’s counsel maintained that the Governor had raised no objection to being included. The High Court, however, said CAT must first address this issue and posted the case for September 29.
On Monday, the government also filed a preliminary objection before CAT, contending that making the Governor a respondent was unconstitutional. Referring to Supreme Court rulings, the State argued that the Governor cannot be held personally answerable and that the proper respondent is the State government. Hearings will resume on Tuesday.
Also Read: CAT stays Kerala govt’s transfer of IAS officer B Ashok
Also Read: CAT stays Kerala govt’s posting of IAS officer B Ashok to KTDFC
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