Keeping Civil Service Board in abeyance is invalid, says CAT

‘Govt. cannot transfer IAS officers without recommendations of the board

In a setback to the State government, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Monday termed as invalid the State government’s March 12, 2014, notification of keeping in abeyance the Civil Services Board (CSB), which was set up to decide postings and transfers of officers belonging to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Declaring that the March 12, 2014, notification cannot be acted upon henceforth as the transfer and posting of IAS officers can be made only based on the recommendations of the CSB, the tribunal directed the government to place the issue related to transfer of IAS officer Sharath B. before the CSB. Also, it directed the CSB to give an opportunity of hearing to Mr. Sharath before its recommendation to the competent authority. A Division Bench comprising Suresh Kumar Monga (Member-Judicial) and Rakesh Kumar Gupta (Member-Administrative) of CAT’s Bengaluru Bench issued the directions on Mr. Sharath’s plea. He had questioned the government’s September 28, 2020, order of prematurely transferring him from the post of Deputy Commissioner, Mysuru.