Kerala’s oldest IAS officer turns 99
We hold get together’s once in six months for senior IAS officers, says Dr Paul
Thiruvananthapuram: C. Thomas, at 99, is the senior-most living retired IAS official and is leading a contented life at Kaudiyar in the city. He keeps himself abreast of all the latest political developments. Though he was supposed to attend the get together organised by retired IAS officers on Saturday, he didn’t make it due to fatigue.
The nonagenarian was one among the six IAS officers belonging to the first batch of Travancore Civil Service in 1946, one year before India became independent. When Kerala State was formed in 1956, he became the first agriculture secretary and also held the post of forest, food and local administration secretaries.
He also held the post of Finance secretary during 1962-66 and was also the first member of the board of revenue in 1973. Since his 99th birthday on April 25, he has been inundated with telephone calls and visitors which have led to his fatigue.
“My father-in-law had served as the first chairman and managing director of Kerala Development Corporation three years before he retired from service in 1973. In 1981, he was made the Pay Commission member and also held a six year term as the Director of State Bank of India for the Southern region in charge of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka”, said Thomas’s younger son-in-law, Dr. George Thomas, an eye specialist, while talking to DC.
His younger daughter, Prof. Roshan Thomas recalled his brush with near death back in 1978 or 1979 when he miraculously survived a plane crash when he was on his way to the then Madras in an Indian Airlines flight
“Forty minutes after taking off, the pilot lost all communication with the air traffic. Though the passengers were aware of some technical fault, they never realized what would be the real outcome of the crash. But my father never liked giving interviews about the ordeal he overcame”, said Ms. Thomas.
Senior retired bureaucrat Dr. Babu Paul who was one of the IAS officers to organise a get together in honour of Thomas told DC that the birthday cake was wasted.
“We have decided to hold get-together’s once in six months for senior IAS people to meet and share their experiences”, said Dr. Paul.