Anticipating shortage, Kerala govt plans bureaucratic reshuffle

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Government is planning to make some key changes at the top level of crucial departments as heads of key departments are bound to either retire from service in the next three-four months or will be leaving for the Centre.
Additional secretaries in charge of revenue and disaster management, home and vigilance, and health and family welfare are set to retire in three months, for which government will have to find replacements. While additional chief secretary (revenue and disaster management) P H Kurien will retire in the end of this month, additional chief secretary (home and vigilance) Subrata Biswas is retiring in April, and additional chief secretary (health and family welfare) Rajeev Sadanandan will leave the service in May.

In addition, it is reliably learnt that a couple of senior officials are likely to go on central deputation. Principal secretary (finance) Manoj Joshi is learnt to have sought permission to leave on central deputation, which the government has given clearance.

Secretary of cultural affairs, animal husbandry, dairy development and zoo departments Anil Xavier, secretary of general administration (sainik welfare) department Sumana N Menon, land revenue commissioner A T James, Supplyco chairman and managing director M S Jaya and Kerala state cooperative bank managing director E Devadas are also set to retire in a few months. While Xavier will retire on January 31, Menon will retire in May end and James on February 28. Services of Jaya and Devadas will end on May 31 and March 31, respectively.

At the same time, the only official who is likely to come back to the state cadre, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, is learnt to have applied for extension in deputation. This means that there would be no replacements from the officials who are on deputation to compensate the shortage due to retirements.

It is learnt that the bureaucratic reshuffle is being considered as initiatives of post-flood rebuilding is the priority for the government especially when general elections are round the corner. Two officers from the state cadre at the Centre will also retire this year. While additional secretary, ministry of coal A K Dubey will retire in the end of this month, telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan will retire on July 31.

State government is also looking for a chief for vigilance and anti-corruption bureau as DGP B S Muhammed Yasin who is heading the department will retire on February 28. Since the post of vigilance director is a cadre post and also a sensitive post that can build or tarnish the image of the government, the government is likely to tread a cautious line while finding the replacement.