Sriram Venkitaraman

Sriram Venkitaraman (born 28 November 1986) is an Indian bureaucrat and physician who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service in Kerala. He was the Sub-Collector of Devikulam, Idukki, in 2016–2017.

Sriram Venkitaraman
Born (1986-11-28) 28 November 1986
Panampilly Nagar, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
NationalityIndian
Alma mater
Known forFormer Sub-Collector of Devikulam, Joint Secretary in the Department of Health and Social Justice, Kerala

Venkitaraman, a medical doctor and Fulbright scholar, was described by the media as an anti-encroachment crusader when he was the Sub-Collector of Idukki. He is currently the Joint Secretary in the Department of Health and Social Justice,[1] Kerala.[2][3]

In August 2019, he was suspended from government service due to his involvement in a car crash that resulted in the death of Kerala journalist K. M. Basheer. The accident happened in the early hours of August 3, 2019. Venkitaraman was the Director of Land and Survey at that time.[4]

In March 2020, he was reinstated into the Health Department. He is also a Fulbright fellow and a Master of Public Health (MPH) graduate from Harvard University.

Early life and education

Venkitaraman was born on 28 November 1986 in Panampilly Nagar, Kerala to father Dr. P. R. Venkitaraman, a retired zoology professor and a career consultant, and mother Rajam, an SBI employee. He completed his school education from Bhavan's Vidya Mandir-Girinagar in 2004 and M.B.B.S from the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, and joined for his M.D. at Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. He passed the Indian Civil Service Examination in his second attempt in 2012. He later pursued MPH from Harvard University with Fulbright Scholarship.[5]

Tenure at Devikulam

His anti-encroachment demolition actions gained attention during his tenure. While Venkitaraman was the sub-collector of Devikulam, he oversaw the demolition of 92 illegally constructed buildings in Munnar and served notices to about 100 resorts and unauthorized constructions at the ecologically sensitive villages in Devikulam taluk. During his tenure, the revenue department took over the Lovedale homestay in Munnar and converted it into the Munnar village office. He took a sabbatical from government service for higher studies and went on to earn a master’s in Public Health from Harvard.[6]

Controversies

Venkitaraman was arrested for rash and negligent driving while impaired after he allegedly hit and killed a journalist in a road traffic accident. He is alleged to have claimed that his co-passenger was driving the car but eyewitnesses stated otherwise.[7] Venkitaraman, who was appointed as the director of Survey and Land Records, was suspended from government service after the incident.[8]

References
  1. "IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman reinstated in service". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  2. "Kerala journalist death: Sriram Venkitaraman suspended by Kerala government". The Hindu. PTI. 5 August 2019. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  3. "Devikulam sub-collector Sriram Venkitaraman 'evicted'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
  4. "IAS officer Sreeram Venkitaraman in deadly car crash that killed a journalist in Kerala granted bail". Gulf News. PTI. 6 August 2019.
  5. "Kerala IAS officer Sriram Venkataraman, who mowed down journalist, still in hospital, blood report awaited". The Indian Express. 4 August 2019.
  6. "Revenue department takes over Munnar homestay | Kochi News". The Times of India. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  7. "'Drunk' IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman's car rams into bike, kills journalist". The Week. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  8. "IAS Officer Suspended After Kerala Journalist Dies In Accident". NDTV.com. NDTV. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
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