Chennai: TVK govt led by C Joseph Vijay has sought a three-month extension for chief secretary M Sai Kumar, a 1990-batch IAS officer, due for superannuation on Aug 31. Election Commission of India appointed Kumar during the assembly election, replacing N Muruganandam, who was later posted as commissioner of revenue administration and disaster management, Kumar’s earlier post.“The proposal to extend the chief secretary’s service was sent a few days ago with chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s approval. The chief minister’s office is coordinating the extension plan with Union govt,” an official source said. Under Rule 16 of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement) Benefits Rules, 1958, a chief secretary may be granted an extension on state govt’s recommendation, with full justification in public interest and prior approval of Union govt.Kumar has held several key posts in nearly four decades of public service. He served as collector of Dharmapuri and Virudhunagar, before becoming secretary of the public works department and chairman and managing director of Tangedco under the rule of J Jayalalithaa. He was later posted as secretary-I in the chief minister’s office by former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.“He is an officer with impeccable integrity and experience of handling critical departments such as water resources, Tangedco and chief minister’s office. Services of an officer such as him are a critical necessity for this govt,” said a senior officer.In Tamil Nadu, the tenures of chief secretaries have been extended multiple times. Most recently, former chief secretary K Shanmugam received two extensions, totalling six months during the Covid-19 pandemic. Several chief secretaries across the country have received extensions ranging from three to six months, while Madhya Pradesh chief secretary Anurag Jain was granted a one-year extension last year.During Sai Kumar’s tenure in the public works department, Union govt notified the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal following Supreme Court directions in 2013. The SC declared Mullaperiyar dam safe in 2014 and allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the water level to 142ft. Chennai’s fifth drinking water reservoir at Thervoy Kandigai was also proposed and built during his stint. Kumar had overseen mitigation measures after cyclones Vardah, Ockhi and Gaja hit the state.
