THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid Kerala’s fight against COVID-19, the state may soon get a new chief secretary. With incumbent Tom Jose set to retire on May 31, Vishwas Mehta is most likely to succeed him. Mehta is currently the additional home chief secretary. Coordinating various Covid-19 activities, he is leading the state’s efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Though a final decision is yet to be made, The New Indian Express has learnt that, post-retirement, Tom Jose may be considered for appointment as the CEO of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI). “Tom Jose may head the Rebuild Kerala Initiative since he has been associated with the project right from its inception,” a person in the know said.
Jose, a 1984-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, assumed office as the state’s 45th chief secretary in July 2018. Mehta, a 1986-batch IAS officer, is a native of Dungarpur in Rajasthan. Once appointed, he will have a tenure of roughly a year as the top bureaucrat in the state.
Meanwhile, sources close to Jose said he is yet to take a call on future plans. “After spending 36 years in government service, one may want to take things easy for a while. There are many who ask about a possible extension.
“He, however, has no such intention. There’s a system in place where the outgoing chief secretary works with the incumbent and gives him the necessary guidance. That’s being done,” sources said.