In A First For Kerala, Wife Succeeds IAS Husband As Chief Secretary

A wife is succeeding her IAS officer husband as the Chief Secretary of Kerala, a first in the state's history.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan pointed to this rare occurrence on Friday during the farewell ceremony organised for outgoing Chief Secretary V Venu, who will retire from government service on August 31.

Venu will be succeeded as Chief Secretary by his wife Sarada Muraleedharan, who currently holds the post of Additional Chief Secretary.

Mr Vijayan recalled many instances in the state where couples, both of whom were in the civil service, have transferred the duties of Collector from one to the other.

He said that there have also been instances where both husband and wife have headed departments and become chief secretaries at different times.

"However, this is the first time in the history of Kerala that the post of Chief Secretary has been handed over by the husband to his wife," he said.

On this rare transition in the state's bureaucratic history, Muraleedharan said it was an odd moment for her as she bids adieu to her husband who will retire on August 31.

She said that both of them worked together as civil servants for 34 years, but she never gave much thought to the fact that they will not leave the service together.

"Now I am a bit anxious as I have to continue in service for another eight months after his retirement," she said.

The Additional Chief Secretary, in her welcome address, also said that her husband recently in an interview remarked that the Chief Minister was one of the most professional leaders in power that Kerala has seen.

The Chief Minister, in his speech bidding farewell to Venu, praised him for the work he did in various departments in the state government over the years.

"A medical doctor, dramatist, bureaucrat and a prominent personality in many capacities. This is a speciality that is not common to ordinary civil servants. He was able to advance both artistic and administrative work," Mr Vijayan said.

Venu, in his farewell speech, said that while he was gradually feeling a sense of relief as he set aside the burden he was carrying, he too was anxious when he thought of leaving a long familiar world of government service to that of a private citizen.

He said that when working as a government official, "We often forget that there will be a life after this".

"Usually, government officials get some time a couple of months before their retirement to meet friends, put things in order... But, tomorrow I have to tomorrow go to the office, my last day in service, hold my last review meeting and hand over various responsibilities to others before I retire," he said.

The outgoing Chief Secretary also said that as he looks back at his years of service, he was fortunate to have been able to work with and learn from the shining stars in the socio-political sphere of the state.

He also recounted his experiences working with various political leaders, including former Kerala Chief Minister E K Nayanar, over the years.

Venu also said that he got to learn a lot from Chief Minsiter Vijayan, whom he called a 'guru', as he was a pillar of support and a source of guidance while dealing with the fallout of the recent devastating landslides in Wayanad district of the state.

"I have learned a lot from him," he added.