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Friday, Sep 14, 2007
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Chief Secretary seeks voluntary retirement

Special Correspondent

Lizzie Jacob to go on leave from today.

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Secretary Lizzie Jacob on Thursday sought voluntary retirement from service. She will go on leave from Friday.

Speaking to presspersons here, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said he had received Mrs. Jacob’s letter seeking leave for three months. Mrs. Jacob, in her brief to the press, confirmed that she had filed her papers for voluntary retirement. Sources said she had cited personal reasons for seeking retirement. Neither did the Chief Minister nor the Chief Secretary elaborate on their respective stands.

She met the Chief Minister on Thursday afternoon and conveyed her decision. The latter reportedly denied her request, following which she decided to take leave.

The decision has apparently been prompted by the Chief Minister’s remark about Mrs. Jacob’s lapses in ordering the construction of a new helipad at Ponmudi to facilitate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s arrival to inaugurate the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, promoted by the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Mrs. Jacob, who assumed charge as Chief Secretary in November last year, belongs to the 1971 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and was to retire on February 4, 2008. She is the second woman IAS officer to become Chief Secretary.

The Chief Minister had on Wednesday said the Government was not informed about the helipad construction and that the Chief Secretary had committed a lapse. However, Government sources pointed out that the Chief Secretary had acted within her powers in ordering the construction work after following the procedures in cases related to VVIP visits.

The Chief Secretary’s announcement has put the Government in an embarrassing spot, embattled as it is with Opposition agitations for Forest Minister Benoy Viswom’s resignation for his alleged involvement in facilitating clearance for the Merchiston Estate to obtain forest land. Mrs. Jacob is the second Chief Secretary under the present Government to go on the basis of the Chief Minister’s remarks. Earlier, Mohammed Riazzudin was removed as Chief Secretary after Mr. Achuthanandan doubted his efficiency.

LDF sources indicated that the Chief Minister and other Ministers would make an attempt to persuade Mrs. Jacob to reconsider her decision.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy accused the Chief Minister of making officials scapegoats for his Ministry’s lapses.

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