THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Income Tax Commissioner R Mohanan has been appointed as the Chief Minister’s private secretary. Mohanan, brother of former Chief Secretary Nalini Netto, succeeds senior CPM leader M V Jayarajan, who stepped down after being elected CPM Kannur district secretary. Curiously, Mohanan’s appointment comes a day after Nalini Netto quit as Chief Minister’s Chief Principal Secretary.
R Mohanan had worked with Reserve Bank of India before joining the Indian Revenue Service. While serving as Income Tax Commissioner in Coimbatore, he took voluntary retirement. Later he became senior consultant with the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation and visiting fellow with the Centre for Development Studies (CDS).
The sudden resignation of Nalini Netto as CM’s Chief Principal Secretary on Tuesday had given rise to speculation. There were reports that Netto quit following differences of opinion with some top officers with the CM’s office. It was further reported that the stepping down of M V Jayarajan, who used to resolve such issues, was the immediate reason for the resignation. Meanwhile there is speculation that Netto chose to resign as one of her close relatives was about to join the CMO.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came down heavily on speculative reports about Netto’s resignation.