The State government has cracked the whip on civil service discipline. It has warned strict action against IAS officers who openly challenge or resort to public posturing against decisions taken by the State Cabinet.
The move comes against the backdrop of reports that Revenue Principal Secretary V. Venu had threatened to go on leave in protest against the government’s decision to transfer Survey and Land Records Director V.R. Premkumar.
The IAS Officers Association had criticised the transfer. It said in a press release that rules mandated that the government give civil servants a minimum tenure of two years in a post and any abrupt removal should have the concurrence of the Civil Service Board (CSB).
At the instance of the government, Chief Secretary Tom Jose issued a warning stating that the government had noticed that IAS officers were “using public platforms and social media to criticise the decisions taken lawfully by the government.”
Mr. Jose said “it is also seen that some officers respond to such instances by aiding and abetting such actions of other service members.”
He said All India Service Conduct rules, 1968, prohibits adverse comments against the government. The law also bans adverse criticism of any current policy or action of the government.
Mr. Jose also warned officers who “aid and abet” such criticism against the government, in what was widely perceived as an oblique censure of Mr. Venu. The government overrode the demands of IAS officers and appointed R. Girija to the post vacated by Mr. Premkumar.
The government had earlier issued a similar warning against Director General of Police Jacob Thomas for criticising the government response in the wake of the Ockhi cyclone.
