Nivedita Haran stripped of Labour

Thiruvananthapuram: The State Government has stripped Additional Chief Secretary Nivedita.P. Haran of the charge of Labour and suspended Labour joint secretary Satyakumar S for directing the Kerala Motor Transport Workers Welfare Fund Board to keep in abeyance a Cabinet decision, ratifying Rs 6.27 crore paid as wages to temporary staff from 2005 to 2011.

Nivedita Haran has also been removed from the chairmanship of the Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) and that of Rehabilitations Plantations Ltd Punalur.

Tom Jose is the new Labour Secretary. The Government has also cancelled the order of Satyakumar, dated January 24, which directed the CEO of the Motor Workers Board not to act on his own previous order, issued 42 days ago, in pursuance of the Cabinet decision to ratify wages paid to temporary hands.

DC had the other day reported on the piquant situation arising out of the order issued on behalf of the senior official, overriding the decision of the Council of Ministers. A sizeable section of senior Secretariat officials was also upset by the turn of events, especially an official calling to question the authority of the elected Government.