V P Joy to be Kerala Chief Secretary from March 1

Itwas decided to set up a Medical College in Wayanad.The cabinet also decided to give the authority to thelocal bodies to grant permission for construction orreconstruction of a building for religious purposes andworship.As of now, the permission of the District Collector wasrequired for such matters, Vijayan said.It was also decided to recommend eight people for thepost of members currently vacant in the Public ServiceCommission.The Cabinet today decided to take stern action againstthose officials who fail to report vacancies to the PSC.

The Kerala governmentonWednesday decided to appoint Additional Chief Secretary V PJoy as thenext state Chief Secretary with incumbent VishwasMehta set to retire on February 28.

A virtual meeting of the cabinet also decided torecommend to the Governor the appointment of General EducationDepartment Secretary A Shahjahan as the State ElectionCommissioner from March 31.

Joy, a 1987 batch officer who came back to the statecadre recently after central deputation, will take over fromincumbent Mehta on March 1 and will hold the top bureaucraticpost till June 30, 2023, when he retires.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who met the media here,said the cabinet decided to give effect to the pension reformsin retrospective manner from July 1, 2019 based on therecommendations of the Eleventh Pay Commission.

''It has been decided to give effect to the pension reformsfrom July 1, 2019. The pay revision will also take effect fromthe same date. The revised pension will be paid from April 1,2021. This also applies to part-time pensioners,'' he said.

Vijayan said the Mananthavady District Hospital has beenupgraded to a Medical College Hospital for the time being. Itwas decided to set up a Medical College in Wayanad.

The cabinet also decided to give the authority to thelocal bodies to grant permission for construction orreconstruction of a building for religious purposes andworship.

As of now, the permission of the District Collector wasrequired for such matters, Vijayan said.

It was also decided to recommend eight people for thepost of members currently vacant in the Public ServiceCommission.

''The Cabinet today decided to take stern action againstthose officials who fail to report vacancies to the PSC. Acommittee comprising the Chief Secretary and an AdditionalChief Secretary will be constituted to ensure that vacanciesare reported,'' Vijayan added.