HC quashes transfer of Devaswom Dy Commissioner

Kochi, Sep 25 (UNI) Kerala High Court today quashed the transfer of Travancore Devaswom Deputy Commissioner C R Radhakrishnan Nair and observed that the Travancore Devaswom Board members and the Commissioner have to work in coordination.

A division bench comprising Justices P R Raman and T R Ramachandran Nair also observed that the Devaswom Commissioner was under the supervision of the Board and he could not bypass the directions of the Board.

However, being the Chief Executive Officer, he had to be given the choice to post officers, in whom he had confidence, and to retain them for his effective functioning.

The views and recommendations of the Commissioner on administrative matters could not be brushed aside by the Board, the court added.

The court made these observations while quashing a transfer order issued to Mr C R Radhakrishnan Nair, the Deputy Commissioner of the Devaswom Board, by the Board.

While the Board had ordered his transfer, Devaswom Commissioner P V Nalinakshan Nair directed that it be held in abeyance when Mr Radhakrishnan Nair had moved the court against the transfer order.

The bench said Devaswom matters involved huge expenditure, especially, in connection with the Sabarimala temple.

The Devaswom Commissioner had to display a very high sense of responsibility in the matter. Whenever required, he should seek the advice of the Board. He is also bound by the directions of the Board, the court observed.

The Bench said, ''We expect that in future the Board and the Commissioner will work in coordination.'' The Devaswom Ombudsman filed a report in the court today, seeking directions to conduct a selection of 'melsanthi' (priest) in Sabarimala only in accordance with the Justice Paripoornan Commission's recommendations.

UNI XR ARC VV SBC NS1844