Major shuffle in TN govt departments: Health Secretary moved to the food department

The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday carried out a major reshuffle in its departments and transferred 37 IAS officials to different offices.

Principal Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan was shifted to the Food Department. He was brought to the Health Department on June 12, 2020, when Covid-19 cases were on the rise due to his expertise in handling crises. He was the Health Secretary from September 2012 till February 2019.

After the DMK assumed office in May 2021, the Madras High Court observed that continuity is maintained by the government as regards the office of the state Health Secretary. It was to ensure momentum was not lost in the fight against Covid-19.

The 55-year-old Radhakrishnan, a veterinary doctor (MVSc), served the district collector of Nagapattinam when the coastal town was hit by the tsunami in 2004. The 1992 batch IAS officer was praised for swift relief and rehabilitation measures.

Radhakrishnan is replacing Md. Nasimuddin, who is posted as Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department. P Senthil Kumar is taking over the position left vacant by Radhakrishnan. He was the Principal Secretary / Officer on Special Duty, Health, and Family Welfare.

Additional Chief Secretary of Department of Home, Prohibition, and Excise SK Prabakar is transferred to the post of Additional Chief Secretary/Commissioner of Revenue Administration. K Phanindra Reddy has taken over the post in the Home Department. He was earlier the Additional Chief Secretary/Commissioner, Commercial Taxes.

Anandakumar is posted in the Department of Welfare of Differently Abled Persons. While M. Mathivanan is posted as the Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise, M. Pradeep Kumar is posted as Tiruchi Collector.

K. Santhi, Johny Tom Varghese, and P. Akash are posted as collectors Tiruchi, Ramanathapuram, and Tenkasi. M. Saikumar will take over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Newsprint Limited.

R. Kirlosh Kumar will take charge as the Managing Director of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. S. Divyadharshini is posted as the Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women Limited.

Shilpa Prabakar Satish is set to take charge as the Mission Director of the National Health Mission. She will also continue as Special Officer, 'Mudhalvarin Mugavari'.

Darez Ahamed is now in charge of Rural Development and L. Nirmalraj is in charge of Transport. J. Jayakanthan was posted as the Commissioner of Geology and Mining. Jacintha Lazarus is the Commissioner of Welfare of the Differently Abled and S. Gopala Sundara Raj was posted as the Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes.

M.S. Sangeetha is now posted as the Joint Commissioner (Admin), Commercial Taxes, and S. Sivarasu was posted as the Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Coimbatore. Mariam Pallavi Baldev is the new Additional Secretary in the Department of Industries and K. Vijayendra Pandian is the new Commissioner of Treasuries and Accounts. R. Lalvena will take charge as Commissioner of Food Safety.

The new Secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission is K. Vivekanandan and J. Vijaya Rani is posted as the Director of Sericulture. While G. Prakash is posted as the Commissioner of Archives and Historical Research, Pinky Jowel is the Commissioner, Department of Economics and Statistics.