Additional secretary T Balakrishnan was slammed by Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan on Sunday. A report in The Indian Express said that he was slammed for saying that he felt bad that as industries secretary because he could not save Coca Cola’s bottling plant in the state from closure.

“Certain bureaucrats cannot stomach the government stand on environmental pollution. They are still vomiting the plans of the last Congress government. That is why such bureaucrats are ruing over the closure of Coca Cola plant. The government is against using genetically-modified seeds, but some officials are overenthusiastic about these seeds,” Achuthanandan said without naming Balakrishnan. “Coke has ravaged the nature at Plachimada (where its now defunct unit was located) forever. Kerala does not want development that destroys environment.”

The bottling plant was shut down after a panel headed by additional chief secretary K Jayakumar recommended that Coca Cola be made to pay Rs 216 crore as compensation for damaging soil and society.

This is not the first time Balakrishnan has landed in trouble with the government. In 2008, he came under fire for dubbing its much-touted land reforms Act as outdated.