Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 16 (IANS) In a significant blow to the Vijayan government, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday issued a stay on yet another transfer order concerning senior IAS officer Dr B. Ashok, who serves as the Principal Secretary of the Kerala Agriculture Department.

Thanks to this new interim relief, Dr Ashok will maintain his current position until the tribunal reaches a final verdict.

This latest controversy is part of a series of contentious transfers involving the officer. Just a week earlier, on September 9, the Ernakulam Bench of CAT, led by Justice Sunil Kumar and Administrative Member V. Rema Mathew, had paused the government’s decision to appoint Dr Ashok as Chairman of KTDFC, allowing him to continue with his responsibilities in the agriculture sector until September 16.

However, before the tribunal could reconvene to deliberate on the matter, the government issued another order on Monday, transferring him to the position of Principal Secretary for Personnel and Administrative Reforms, replacing him with senior IAS officer Tinku Biswal.

This latest action has now been stayed as of Tuesday. Dr Ashok contested this new order before the tribunal, asserting that the government had acted contrary to the previous stay.

The tribunal noted that the government’s actions appeared to undermine its directives and cautioned that such behavior could lead to serious repercussions.

Dr Ashok's transfer comes amidst the Kerala Development Project leak controversy, for which he was assigned to investigate on the Chief Minister's orders. His findings, particularly concerning the World Bank email leak, had placed the Chief Minister's Office in a precarious position.

Following this, Dr Ashok was unexpectedly reassigned from the agriculture department.

This isn’t the first instance where Dr Ashok has resisted such transfers. Previous postings, including his role as Commissioner of the Local Self-Government Reforms Commission, were annulled by the CAT after he legally contested them.

The continual transfer orders have sparked strong reactions within the IAS community, with numerous officers expressing their dissatisfaction.

Dr Ashok, who also holds the position of President of the IAS Association, is perceived to be facing targeted administrative measures.

The tribunal is anticipated to review his petition against the latest transfer shortly. In the meantime, Dr Ashok will continue to serve as Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Department.