Former chief secretary K Jayakumar set to be the new Travancore Devaswom Board president

Thiruvananthapuram: At a time when the Travancore Devaswom Board is mired in controversy with strong allegations over the gold theft and corruption at the administrative levels, the LDF government has decided to bring former chief secretary K Jayakumar as the new president. The official order is expected to be issued after the chief minister returns from abroad on Saturday. Once appointed, he will assume office immediately.

The CPM state secretariat, which met on Friday, zeroed in on the retired IAS officer taking into account his vast experience in handling Sabarimala administration for several years as devaswom secretary, chief devaswom commissioner and chairman of the HC-appointed high-powered committee on Sabarimala

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The fact that he had successfully overseen two Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage seasons also weighed in his favour, said a party source.

Though a couple of names including that of two senior CPM leaders were under consideration, the party decided to go with Jayakumar in a bid to put an end to the ongoing row over gold theft from the hill shrine. With back-to-back elections coming up, the CPM leadership is keen to put a lid on the ongoing Sabarimala row.

The party feels that Jayakumar’s appointment would not only pacify both pilgrims and believers, but also the judiciary which has been keeping a close watch on Sabarimala.

Jayakumar, currently sevring as the Director of the Institute of Management in Government (IMG) in Kerala, said he is yet to get a formal communication in this regard.

K Jayakumar - A brief about the former chief secretary

K. Jayakumar is a prominent Indian civil servant, poet, and author, known for his administrative career as the Chief Secretary of Kerala and as the founding Vice-Chancellor of the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University. Born in 1952, he is also a prolific lyricist, translator, and painter, with a distinguished career that blends public service with extensive contributions to literature and the arts. His notable works include translations of "Gitanjali" and "The Prophet" and his poetry has received several accolades.