VP Joy takes charge as Kerala's new Chief Secretary

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior bureaucrat VP Joy on Sunday assumed charge as the new Chief Secretary of Kerala.

Joy is succeeding Dr Vishwas Mehta, who retires from service Sunday.

Mehta handed over the charge to Joy in the presence of senior officers of the state authorities on the secretariat here.

Joy has taken charge as the Chief Secretary of the state just before the upcoming Assembly polls here.

The election for 140-member Kerala Assembly in 14 districts will be held on April 6. For Assembly poll 2021, the number of polling booths in Kerala has been extended from 21,498 to 40,771. The counting of votes will be held on May 2.

According to the Election Commission, of the 140 Assembly seats, 14 seats are reserved for SC category and two are reserved for ST category candidates. The tenure of the Kerala legislative assembly will come to an end on June 1, 2021.