Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 29 (PTI) Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson today recommended strict action against controversial IPS officer DGP Jacob Thomas for working in a private college without prior permission from the government and receiving remuneration.
He told reporters here that the recommendation to dismiss or downgrade or block the increments of Thomas was made after a direction from the Centre.
"The recommendation for action, submitted to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, was made as Thomas' explanation to the showcause notice was found not satisfactory.
"I recommended major penalty against Thomas. It can either be dismissal, blocking the increments or downgrading the service," Thomson, who retired today, said.
He said though he was about to close the files in this regard after Thomas had repaid the remuneration he received from the college, "the recommendation for action was made following a direction from the Centre."
The "action of Thomas was a clear case of breach of service rules set by the Centre for civil servants. All civil servants are working in a particular framework and they should not cross its Laxman rekha," Thomson said.
Thomas, now Managing Director of Kerala State Police Housing and Construction Corporation, is believed to have a sore relationship with the UDF government since the time he openly criticised certain actions of Chandy while he was the Director of Fire and Rescue Services department.
On the controversy over his new appointment as the Special Advisor to Chief Minister, Thomson said the post is to monitor some of the flagship development projects of the state.
"We cannot compromise in the case of our ongoing mega projects including the road development. The duty of the Special Advisor is to closely monitor these projects and ensure their smooth implementation," he said.
As the assembly elections are round the corner, the newly appointed Chief Secretary can pay his attention only on election-related affairs, he said.
Opposition leader in the Kerala assembly V S Achutanandan had criticised the appointment of Thomson as Special Advisor to Chief Minister and even asked for cancelling the appointment.