Thiruvananthapuram: Cabinet on Wednesday decided to appoint 1992-batch IAS officer Bishwanath Sinha as the state’s next chief secretary. He will succeed incumbent A Jayathilak, who is set to retire on June 30.Sinha has been serving as additional chief secretary (home and vigilance). Cabinet also decided to recommend to governor the appointment of N Seshadrinathan, a retired district judge and native of Ernakulam, as state election commissioner. Among other appointments, cabinet approved the appointment of N Anilkumar as special govt pleader for Lok Ayukta. It also decided to appoint four special govt pleaders, 12 senior govt pleaders and 24 govt pleaders in high court.Cabinet approved financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each from chief minister’s distress relief fund (CMDRF) to the families of three Kudumbashree workers, who died after a wall of Shivajinagar Hospital building in Bengaluru collapsed. It also sanctioned Rs 5 lakh each as financial assistance to the families of three persons who died in a road accident at Neeleswaram in Kottarakkara. Govt will bear the treatment expenses of those injured in the accident.Cabinet further decided to extend for one more year 243 posts in several special land assignment and land acquisition offices across the state. The extension covers six special land assignment offices in Idukki district located at Idukki, Karimannoor, Kattappana, Murickassery, Nedumkandam and Rajakumari. It also includes the office of special tahsildar, Thrissur (land acquisition) unit no. 1 in Thrissur district, Peerumedu land assignment office and special tahsildar’s office for land acquisition related to the Nemom railway line project.
