Chennai: After a fruitful innings which saw many new Information Technology-aided projects for social good, civil servant D Santhosh Babu, a Keralite, is stepping down from government service.

Dr Santhosh Babu is currently the Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation and has eight years left in service.

The application to demit office was submitted earlier this month but the approval came by recently. He will don the robe of a teacher from now – he will teach and guide students at the Officers IAS Academy.

Santhosh Babu said he had a start-up idea in mind and would work towards materialising it. He also had plans to write a book. The 1995-batch, Tamil Nadu- cadre officer had completed 25 years in service recently.

Dr Santhosh Babu says he was unhappy that he could not complete the Bharat Net project which envisaged connecting 2,500 villages in Tamil Nadu with high-speed internet.

Dr Santhosh Babu was Principal Secretary for IT in TN and also held the post of Fibre Net Corporation Managing Director. Under the project, those in villages could get multiple services at the click of a mouse, without stepping out and going to offices. Sources said the early retirement comes in the wake of issues with the government with regard to the tendering process for the project.

The Centre had subsequently cancelled the tender for the project following complaints. Grapevine had it that Santhosh Babu was shifted to the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation following this fallout with the state government.

Kalaam’s praise

Dr Santhosh Babu had served in various capacities – right from Chidambaram Collector to MD, Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation. He made it a point to implement at least one decisive project in all the places that he had been.

Former President APJ. Abdul Kalam, himself a minefield of energy and ideas, had appreciated Dr. Santhosh Babu’s efforts.

Dr Kalam specifically lauded his ‘Back to School’ project. Dr. Santhosh Babu was then the sub-collector of Krishnagiri and the project intended to bring back indigent children to school and to ensure that they attended classes.