The Hindu : Pleaders question IAS officer's action

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 26, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Pleaders question IAS officer's action

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 25. Forty-one Government Pleaders in the Kerala High Court have written to the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, questioning the contentions of the former Forest Secretary, E.K. Bharat Bhushan, regarding forest cases and action taken against forest officials by the Government.

In a joint memorandum, dated January 6, sent to the Chief Minister through the Advocate General, the Senior Government Pleaders and Government Pleaders said that it would be difficult for them to defend the Government in cases relating to disciplinary action taken against certain forest officials when a Government Secretary criticised such action in public. "We are given to understand that the Government Secretary has exceeded the limit of permission and has acted against the Conduct Rules of All India Service by opening [openly] defending the officials who are facing departmental proceedings and other enquiry. Apart from the above we feel our honesty and sincerity in conducting the Government cases have been questioned by the Government Secretary by making allegations against the conduct of cases before the High Court by the Law Officers of the State," they said.

The Government Pleaders requested the Chief Minister "to look into the matter to take appropriate steps with respect to the act on the part of Mr. Bharat Bhushan in openly criticising and questioning the action taken by the Government" against certain forest officials, which were "now pending challenge" before the High Court and which "has to be defended by the Government Pleaders".

Quoting newspaper reports of Mr. Bharat Bhushan's press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on December 24, they said that of the two forest officials who had been given a clean chit by the former Forest Secretary, one was facing investigation by the Vigilance Wing of the Forest Department on charges that had been proved in a preliminary departmental inquiry. In the latter case, the officer was found guilty of the charges against him in connection with the Mathikettan encroachment by a three-member committee of which the former Forest Secretary himself was a member, they said.

The Government Pleaders have submitted several documents to the Chief Minister to prove their claims and allegations.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala