Lakshmi Pranesh is first woman TN Chief Secretary

In a sudden and surprising move, the ruling AIADMK government today removed Chief Secretary Sukavaneshvar from the post and appointed principal secretary of Food Department Lakshmi Pranesh in his place. She is the first woman IAS officer to occupy the top executive post of Tamil Nadu.

Sukavaneshvar has been posted to the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Limited (SIDCO) as its Chairman replacing S P Elangovan.

Ironically, the government order relating to the posting issued by the Public (Special A) department today was signed by Sukavaneshvar himself.

The 57-year-old Lakshmi, who is a post graduate in Maths, is a 1968 batch IAS officer. A low profile officer known for her honesty and sincerity, she is a native of Sivaganga. Lakshmi is due to retire in 2005.