Chennai: Union govt on Wednesday approved a six-month extension in service for Tamil Nadu chief secretary M Sai Kumar, a 1990-batch IAS officer who was due to retire on Aug 31. An order issued by the department of personnel and training said the approval was based on a proposal sent by the state govt on June 3. Kumar’s extended tenure will run from Sept 1, 2026, to Feb 28, 2027. The communication, addressed to the public department, said the extension was approved under Rule 16(1) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules.Kumar was commissioner for revenue administration during the previous DMK govt before being appointed as chief secretary by ECI before polls. “The state govt had sought a three-month extension for the top bureaucrat, and the Centre has given six months,” said a senior official.
