Thiruvananthapuram, 01 June (H.S.):The Kerala government has appointed senior IAS officer Seeram Sambasiva Rao as the new Excise Commissioner, implementing a directive issued by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on appointments to IAS cadre posts.

The appointment was confirmed through a government order issued on Monday. Sambasiva Rao, who had been serving as Special Officer to the Chief Minister, succeeds ADGP M.R. Ajith Kumar, who was removed from the position following the tribunal’s ruling.

The post of Excise Commissioner is designated as an IAS cadre position. However, in recent years, the role had been held by senior IPS officers, leading to a dispute over cadre norms. The Kerala IAS Association challenged the appointment of M.R. Ajith Kumar, an IPS officer, as Excise Commissioner before the Central Administrative Tribunal.

After hearing the matter, the tribunal ruled that positions earmarked for IAS officers must be filled only by officers belonging to the IAS cadre. The tribunal observed that appointing officers from other services to cadre-designated posts was inconsistent with established administrative rules and service norms.

The CAT order also referred to other key positions in the state administration, including the Director of the Institute of Management in Government (IMG) and the Director of the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), both of which are designated IAS cadre posts. The tribunal clarified that such positions should also be occupied only by IAS officers.

Following the ruling, the state government relieved Ajith Kumar of his responsibilities as Excise Commissioner and initiated the process of appointing an eligible IAS officer to the post. The appointment of Seeram Sambasiva Rao is seen as a move to ensure compliance with the tribunal’s directions and reinforce cadre discipline within the state bureaucracy.

The development marks a significant administrative change in Kerala and underscores the importance of adhering to cadre regulations in appointments to senior government positions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman