N Prasanth accuses chief secretary Jayathilak of procedural violations, misuse of power

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Suspended IAS officer Prasanth N has accused chief secretary A Jayathilak of serious procedural violations and misuse of power, further intensifying the controversy surrounding the transfer of senior IAS officer B Ashok. The allegations come in the wake of the Central Administrative Tribunals decision to set aside the state governments transfer order, dealing a significant blow to the state administration and putting the chief secretarys office under close scrutiny. The transfer of B Ashok from the post of Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Department to CMD of Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation shocked many in the state IAS cadre. In a Facebook post, Prasanth addressed Jayathilak as George Sir-the villain from the movie Thudarum, and claimed that a careful review of the transfer order reveals more than seven distinct legal violations. It would be evident to any IAS officer that either the order issued lacked legal knowledge or had only superficial acquaintance with the law, he alleged. Prasanth further said, according to Secretariat staff, junior officers were warned during a meeting that criticising the chief secretary would lead to punitive action, similar to what happened to him. He charged that a comprehensive list of Jayathilaks violations would surpass any high-profile police scandal currently making headlines and that the number of victims would shock the public. Highlighting a troubling contradiction, Prasanth asked, If ordinary citizens are liable to face strict legal action for procedural violations, why should a government officer repeatedly found violating laws be awarded honours and promotions while continuing to serve? He further questioned whether such actions came from personal motives. In a separate post titled George Sir overruled ministers, Prasanth accused the top brass of labelling whistleblowers as anti-government, enabling powerful bureaucrats like the chief secretary to rise unchecked. Behind the scenes, sources say a fierce power struggle is now brewing in the IAS hierarchy, with the tide slowly turning against Jayathilak. Though TNIE made efforts to seek a response from the chief secretary, he remained tight-lipped on the matter.