https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Administrative Paralysis in Kerala: Acute IAS Officer Shortage Inundates Bureaucracy With Backlogs & Delays

Currently, government officials are burdened with four to five portfolios, while others manage considerably fewer
Indian Masterminds Stories

Many government departments in Kerala have significantly slowed down due to an acute shortage of IAS officers. Currently, government officials are burdened with four to five portfolios, while others manage considerably fewer. This imbalance has left bureaucrats struggling to effectively oversee even critical departments.

Kerala presently has only 126 IAS officers, against a sanctioned strength of 231. The shortage is further compounded by several senior officers being on central deputation and others serving as election observers in different states.

With top bureaucrats like Mr. Manoj Joshi (1989-batch IAS officer) and Mr. Rajesh Kumar Singh (1989-batch IAS officer) continuing on central deputation, Ms. Sarada Muraleedharan (1990-batch IAS officer), the next senior IAS officer, was elevated to the Chief Secretary post after Mr. V. Venu’s (1990-batch IAS officer) retirement. Mr. Kamala Vardhana Rao, a 1990-batch officer senior to Officer Muraleedharan, is also on central deputation.

Mr. Raju Narayana Swamy (1991-batch IAS officer), ranked after Officer Kamala Vardhana Rao, remains a Principal Secretary in charge of the Parliamentary Affairs Department.

Dr. A. Jayathilak (1991-batch IAS officer), the Finance Additional Chief Secretary, is next in seniority. Typically, finance secretaries are not given additional responsibilities, but due to the staff shortage, Dr. Jayathilak has also been entrusted with the Tax Department. This department, consisting of 10 sections, is one of the largest wings in the Secretariat.

The consequences of this shortage are visible in the growing backlog of files. In the Finance Department alone, 26,257 files remain pending, while unresolved files across the Secretariat have exceeded three lakh. Officials attribute these delays to department secretaries juggling multiple portfolios, hindering timely decision-making.

Mr. K. R. Jyothilal (1993-batch IAS officer), a trusted government officer, currently oversees four key departments: Public Administration, Forest, Power, and Transport. Mr. A. Koushigan (2010-batch IAS officer), who previously managed five departments simultaneously, raised concerns about the lack of time to process files. Following his complaint, the Animal Husbandry Department was excluded from his responsibilities. Mr. Puneet Kumar (1993-batch IAS officer) manages four departments, while Mr. Biju Prabhakar (2004-batch IAS officer) and Mr. Tinku Biswal (1997-batch IAS officer) each handle three.


Indian Masterminds Stories
Related Stories
NEWS
Sarada Muraleedharan IAS
Kerala CS Sarada Muraleedharan Responds to Colourist Remarks: ‘Black Can Absorb Anything’
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
CBIC Accepts Voluntary Retirement of Two IRS (C&IT) Officers
Marriage
Cadre Transfer of IPS Officer Amrinder Singh to Haryana on Marriage Grounds
ips-officer Latest
16 IPS Officers from Various Cadres Set to Retire in March 2025, Check Names Here
CAG logo-resized
CAG Denies Conducting Audit on Vehicle Used by IAS Officer Smita Sabharwal, Sends Cautionary Letter to University
psuwatch_2024-11-04_ur2eppwp_NTPC-ONGC
ONGC NTPC Green Completes Ayana Acquisition for Rs 6,248.50 Crore
Power Grid
Power Grid Board Approves Rs 673-Crore Investment for Transformer Converter Purchase
750x450_859980-ddnhd
Amaraesh Pujari, IPS Officer Who Foretold Jayalalithaa’s Conviction, Retires
Videos
Sajjan Yadav, IAS
The Policy Maker Who Turned India’s Vaccine Story and UPSC Struggles into Bestsellers
WhatsApp Image 2025-03-21 at 14.33
Training The Cops In Mastering The Technology Used By Criminals
IAS Ayush Prasad
This IAS Officer Dreams of Making Jalgaon a $25 Billion Economy in Four Years
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Sarada Muraleedharan IAS
Kerala CS Sarada Muraleedharan Responds to Colourist Remarks: ‘Black Can Absorb Anything’
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
CBIC Accepts Voluntary Retirement of Two IRS (C&IT) Officers
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Sajjan Yadav, IAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-03-21 at 14.33
IAS Ayush Prasad
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT