Senior bureaucrat Rajendra Ratnoo takes VRS

CHENNAI: Senior bureaucrat Rajendra Ratnoo, a 2001-batch IAS officer, took voluntary retirement from service, citing personal reasons.He returned to Chennai only in June after central deputation.

Ratnoo was the executive director of the National Institute of Disaster Management in New Delhi. The state govt posted him as member secretary of Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust and managing director of Chennai River Transformation Company Limited. "He was relieved on Aug 20. The officer cited personal reasons for his VRS, and his mother’s health, and the state govt considered it by relaxing the three-month mandatory notice period for the bureaucrats," said a source.

His premature retirement was sanctioned by the Union govt under the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. Rule 16 (2) allows the state govt to relax the notice period if satisfied by the officer's request and the reasons are recorded in writing.Ratnoo, originally from Rajasthan, began his career in Madurai as an assistant collector. He went on to helm the Tsunami project implementation unit and served as collector of Cuddalore and Kanyakumari. He also served in various capacities in fisheries, commercial taxes, Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation, technical education, and Poompuhar Shipping Corporation, before becoming director of disaster management.

He was joint secretary to the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.