Times of India: Thiruvnantpuram: Sunday, December 29, 2024.
Additional chief secretary A Jayathilak was present in his Secretariat office for fewer than 10 days for most of the months over the past 23 months, according to an RTI reply. The information disclosure is the latest development in the ongoing discord amongst IAS officers in the state. The attendance records were procured from the SPARK system at the Secretariat through the Right to Information Act by Vinod Narayanan of Puthukulangara in Nedumangad.
The RTI response indicates that during the previous two years, Jayathilak attended work for 10 days in five months. His peak attendance coincided with legislative sessions in July and Oct, when he was present for 13 and 15 days, respectively. Throughout the 23-month period scrutinised, Jayathilak registered 10 or fewer days of attendance in 18 months, whilst continuing to receive his salary and associated benefits.
It emerged that he utilised the ‘other duty' designation, a provision afforded to officers with supplementary responsibilities requiring work outside the Secretariat. Nevertheless, records indicate his usage of the ‘other duty' option despite having no additional responsibilities.
Official govt documentation verifies that Jayathilak held no external duties during this period, except for the final three months, according to sources. Secretariat sources indicate he devoted considerable time travelling to Munnar, Wayanad and Ernakulam. However, queries regarding his official travel through the Right to Information Act remained unanswered. Jayathilak's absence from legislative committee meetings, frequently delegating attendance to subordinates at short notice, has created operational challenges, as documented by IAS officer N Prasanth in a file.
Subsequently, Prasanth was reassigned to the agriculture department. Prasanth recently issued legal notice to Jayathilak, chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan and IAS officer K Gopalakrishnan, alleging attempts to tarnish his reputation in the controversy regarding purportedly missing files of the Unnathi project.