Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Government of Kerala in New Delhi, Venu Rajamony, has offered to step down from the post, declining the two-week extension granted by the State government.
In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the former Ambassador sought permission to discontinue his service as OSD (External Cooperation) immediately on completion of his tenure on September 16. The government had last week issued an order extending Mr. Rajamony’s tenure till September 30.
“I would like to decline the two-week extension granted to me by the government,” the letter said. “I understand that this extension was given for me to complete an official matter with which I was involved. However, that matter has been cancelled and hence, there is no specific need for me to continue in this position for another two weeks,” he said.
The letter also recalled his role in bringing back Malayali students from Ukraine, the commencement of direct flights between Kochi and Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam, and his contributions to the Chief Minister’s official visits to Norway, the UK, the US, and Cuba.
Mr. Rajamony who retired as Ambassador to the Netherlands, was appointed OSD by the government in 2021 to liaise with the Central government, foreign and Indian diplomatic missions and agencies on issues related to the Malayali diaspora across the world, and explore opportunities for collaboration with institutions and industries in several countries. His tenure was extended by an year more in 2022.
In January this year, the government appointed expelled Congress leader K.V. Thomas as its special representative in Delhi with Cabinet rank to coordinate Centre-State communications and streamline the activities of the State government in the national capital. The move, however, drew flak from the Congress-led Opposition UDF that termed it a wasteful expenditure to have two representatives in Delhi at a time when the State was facing its worst financial crisis.
