M Sivasankar is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1995-batch Kerala cadre. On 14 February 2023, he came into limelight after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of taking bribe to facilitate the contract of LIFE Mission project to a private construction company, Unitach Builders and Developers.
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Wiki/Biography
Shiva Shankar M, or Shivashankar Nair, was born on Thursday, 24 January 1963 (age 60 years; as in 2023) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Their zodiac sign is Aquarius. Sivasankar attended NSS College of Engineering, Palakkad, Kerala, where he earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Instrumentation and Control Systems. He completed his post graduation in Rural Management from Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), Gujarat, India.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 8″
Hair Color: Gray
Eye colour: black
M Sivasankar (left) with Pinarayi Vijayan, the 12th Chief Minister of Kerala.
Family and ethnicity
M Sivasankar belongs to a Malayali family.
parents and siblings
There is not much information about M Shivashankar’s family or siblings.
wife and children
According to some media sources, Sivasankar is married to a woman who is a doctor, while Swapna Suresh, the main accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, has revealed in her autobiography “Chathiyude Padmavyuham” that M Sivasankar married her at the Padmanabha Swamy Temple. Was married. Chennai.
M Shivashankar with Swapna Suresh
Address
M Sivasankar lives at Devdarshan, Katturroad, Opposite Magic Academy, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
livelihood
After completing his post-graduation, Shivshankar worked with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for some time. On 1 March 2000, he was appointed as Under Secretary in the Department of Communications and Information Technology and was later promoted as Deputy Secretary and served in this post till June 2001. Shivshankar was posted as Under Secretary in the Department of Civil Supplies and Food and Public Distribution in June 2001. And later he was promoted to the post of Director in the same department, where he served in this position till August 2002. From August 2002 to September 2003, Shivshankar served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Communications and Information Technology. In September 2003, he was posted to Malappuram as District Collector in the Department of District Administration and Land Revenue Management. In 2006, Shivshankar served as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Public Instruction. Later, he was promoted to the post of Director and served in the same department until 2008. In April 2008, Sivasankar was appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Tourism, and was later promoted to the post of Director after which he continues to hold the post. Served the department till 2011. From 2010–2011, he was appointed as the Director of the Department of Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology. In 2011, Shivshankar took over as Secretary in the Public Works Department (PWD) and Sports Department. Shivshankar served as the Secretary of the Department of General Education and Tribal Welfare in 2012. In the same year, he was appointed as Joint Secretary to serve the Kerala State Electricity Board and the Sports Department. Later, Sivasankar was promoted to the post of Chairman of the Kerala State Electricity Board, and he continued to work in the department until 2016. In 2016, Sivasankar was appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Pinarayi Vijayan, who took charge. He assumed office as the 12th Chief Minister of Kerala on 25 May 2016. In 2017, he was promoted to the post of Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In the same year, he took over as Principal Secretary in the Department of Information and Technology.
Kerala gold smuggling scam 2020
After Sivasankar was suspected to have alleged links to a gold smuggling case, he was removed from the post of Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 7 July 2020. However, he continued to serve as Principal Secretary and Chairman of the Department of Information Technology. Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL). On 16 July 2020, Sivasankar was suspended from his service for one year after he was accused of recommending gold smuggling scam key accused Swapna Suresh for the post of business development manager in Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL). I went. , In October 2020, Shivshankar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and after spending 98 days in jail, he was released on bail on 3 February 2021. On 4 January 2022, after seventeen months of suspension, Shivshankar’s suspension was revoked by the Chief Minister. office, and they were restored to service on 6 January 2022. He was appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs. Later he was given additional responsibility of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Department.
retirement
In April 2022, Shivshankar approached the state government for voluntary retirement from service (VRS). However, his plea was rejected by Customs and Enforcement Directorate officials citing the ongoing investigation against him. M Sivasankar, who served as the Secretary of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, retired from his service on January 31, 2023.
controversies
Alleged involvement in gold smuggling case
On 28 October 2020, M Sivasankar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged connection with the Kerala gold smuggling case. On 5 July 2020, a smuggling case came to light when customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs 15 crore hidden in a consignment at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. They arrested P Sarith Kumar, former executive secretary of the UAE Consulate, who was present at the international airport to collect the luggage. The consignment, in which the smuggled gold was carried, was addressed to the UAE Consulate in India. Shivshankar was arrested under sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for assisting Swapna Suresh, one of the prime accused in the case. While serving as the Chairman of Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL), Sivasankar recommended Swapna Suresh for the post of Business Development Manager in the organisation. It was alleged that Shivshankar convinced his chartered accountant Venugopal Iyer to open a joint bank locker with Swapna to help launder the black money and smuggle it into the UAE. However, Shivshankar denied any affair with Swapna and said,
I was not aware of his gold smuggling deal with Swapna. I never accepted their hospitality at home or abroad.”
Referring to M Sivasankar, the Kerala High Court passed statement regarding his involvement in the case, which read,
The fact that the applicant was in constant touch with Swapna Suresh, one of the main witnesses, and that she had volunteered to help him by contacting his chartered accountant and asking him to assist her in managing his finances, it Shows that there is a fair possibility that the applicant was aware of Swapna Suresh’s involvement in the alleged trafficking activity.
M Sivasankar was taken into custody by Enforcement Directorate officials on October 28, 2020 for his alleged connection with the gold smuggling case.
Arrested for involvement in dollar smuggling case
After suspending Shivshankar for his involvement in the gold smuggling case, he was arrested by Customs officials on 20 January 2021 for his alleged links to the dollar smuggling case, which came to light during the investigation of the gold smuggling case . He was accused of assisting the former finance chief of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram in smuggling US$1,90,000 (equivalent to Rs 1.30 crore) to Muscat, Oman. The charge sheet filed by the Customs department claimed that Shivshankar was in possession of the money which was seized from the bank locker of Swapna Suresh, the main accused in the gold smuggling case. The money in Swapna’s bank account was the commission Sivasankar received in awarding the LIFE Mission contract, a government scheme to provide shelter to homeless people in Kerala.
Controversy over publishing one’s autobiography
On 5 February 2022, Sivasankar released his autobiography “Aswathamavu: Verum Oru Aana” (Aswathamavu is just an elephant), in which he mentioned details about the gold smuggling case, his interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate and Customs officials and his experience. Have done. the prison. Published by DC Books, Shivshankar’s autobiography sparked controversy as he was accused of violating UPSC service rules, which prohibit a serving bureaucrat from writing biographical books. Additionally, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed that Sivasankar had not sought his permission to write the autobiography.
M Sivasankar’s autobiography, Ashwathamavu Verum Oru Aana
Allegation of taking bribe in LIFE Mission project
On 14 February 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested M Sivasankar for his alleged connection in awarding the contract of the Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment Mission, also known as the Life Mission Project. The LIFE Mission project aims to provide houses for the poor in Wadakkanchery, Thrissur district of Kerala, who lost their homes in the catastrophic Kerala floods of 2018. The Enforcement Directorate alleged that Shivshankar took a bribe of Rs 1 crore for the LIFE facility. Mission project for Unitech Builders & Developers, a Kerala based construction company.
M Sivasankar was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on February 14, 2023 for his alleged connection with the Life Mission project bribery case.
Facts/General Knowledge
- During his college days, Shivshankar supported the Students Federation of India (SFI) party.
- In May 2008, Sivasankar was appointed as the Director of Kerala Tourism.
- Sivanshankar, while serving as Principal Secretary of the IT Department, started Akshaya Centers across Kerala, aimed at encouraging computer literacy by providing knowledge related to the applications of computers.
- Shivshankar was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo surgery to recover from it.
- In 2010, Sivasankar underwent training for the “Phase IV Program of Compulsory Mid-Career Training for IAS Officers”.
See more: Anjali Tendulkar Wiki
Anjali Arora Wiki
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn