Thiruvananthapuram: Orator, columnist and former Additional Chief Secretary D. Babu Paul, who died here of a heart attack late on Friday, will be laid to rest at Kuruppampady Jacobite Church near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam at 4 pm on Sunday.
Dr Babu Paul, at age 77, had led an active life, contributing to newspapers and keeping his public speaking assignments to schedule, a habit he had perfected over the years since joining the civil service when he was 21 years old.
After wife Nirmala Paul died in 2000, Paul had been more of a loner. His civil service days had been eventful, earning bouquets during a career from sub collector in Kollam to the Additional CS. The State Government presented him with a special award of Rs 10,000 for accomplishing the Idukki arch dam project in the 1970s.
At the time of death, Paul was on the board of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board and had a stint as an Ombudsman for local self-government institutions during 2000-01.
Before being appointed additional Chief Secretary (1998-2000), he had also served as Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, Transport Commissioner, Chairman, Cochin Port Trust and Finance Secretary among others. Post-retirement, he was mentor emeritus of Kerala Civil Service Academy.
His major literary work was the first Malayalam Bible dictionary 'Veda Sabda Rathnakaran', comprising 4,000 titles and 6 lakh words. His autobiographical service story 'Katha Ithuvare' was published in 2001. He leaves behind children Mariam Joseph and Cheriyan C Paul and brother K Roy Paul, former Civil Aviation Secretary.
