Thiruvananthapuram Dec 8 (IANS) Suspended IAS officer N. Prasanth has levelled a series of serious allegations against Kerala Chief Secretary Dr A. Jayathilak, accusing him of repeatedly issuing government orders without the knowledge of the minister concerned, in violation of the Rules of Business.

In a strongly worded public statement on his social media account, Prasanth on Monday claimed that this was not an isolated instance but part of a larger pattern of administrative overreach.

Referring to recent media reports, he alleged that Dr Jayathilak had issued orders independently without even sending files for ratification to the department’s minister.

He further claimed that in an earlier case involving Dr B. Ashok, the file was forwarded to the Chief Minister only after the matter was questioned in court.

Prasanth recalled that when Dr Jayathilak served in the SC/ST Department, the then minister K. Radhakrishnan had maintained close oversight over file movements.

However, during the minister’s absence due to election campaigning, Jayathilak allegedly attempted to push through what Prasanth termed “illegal actions” by acting as the minister himself.

Prasanth alleged it was his opposition to these actions that eventually led to disciplinary proceedings against him.

The suspended officer also alleged that on March 16, 2024, IAS officer Gopalakrishnan was appointed CEO of the Unnathi mission without the knowledge of either the department minister or the Chief Minister.

According to him, government records indicate that Jayathilak facilitated both the appointment and the transfer of files to the newly appointed officer.

He further pointed to later media reports stating that those very files were subsequently found missing.

Prasanth claimed that secretariat staff had informed him that Jayathilak frequently issued unilateral government orders when working in departments lacking strong administrative experience.

He also cited the controversial order related to tree felling at Muttill as an example of such unilateral decision-making.

Stating that orders issued without delegated authority have no legal validity, Prasanth said that such actions would not withstand judicial scrutiny.

He demanded that all such orders be cancelled and that legal action be initiated.

In a sharp concluding remark, Prasanth criticised what he described as a culture of bureaucrats “appropriating political power through flattery”, asserting that such conduct violates the ethical foundations of the civil services.

–IANS

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