Kerala HC quashes transfer of Devaswom Dy. Commissioner

Kochi, Sep 25 (UNI) The 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 cannot bypass the directions of the Board.

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

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

These observations were made by the court 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 had directed that it be held in abeyance. Mr Radhakrishnan Nair had moved the court against the transfer order.

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

The Devaswom Commissioner has to discharge very high responsibility in the matter. Whenever required, he should seek the advice of the Board and so also he is bound by the directions of the Board, the court observed.

It concluded the judgement by saying that ''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 DK1745