THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Secretary Vishwas Mehta, IAS is leaving on Central deputation. He will join the Union Defence Ministry as Joint Secretary.
He is expected to join the Central service in the second week of June.
Vishwas Mehta is the second Kerala cadre IAS officer to join the Defence Department, the first being Gyanesh Kumar.
Mehta, a 1986 batch IAS officer, joined the Kerala service in 1988 as Assistant Collector.
He has served as the District Collector of Idukki and Wayanad. In the Centre, he had served as deputy secretary in the tourism and culture departments. He was made the Health Secretary in 2005 during the tenure of the Congressled UDF Government.
A fan of late singer Mukesh, Vishwas Mehta is a familiar face in Kerala as he had staged several music shows and television programmes.