Jayalalithaa shunts out senior babus close to Karunanidhi govt

50 officers transferred in two batches,all major departments have new secretaries

In a widespread shake-up after the new government took charge in Tamil Nadu,the new administration on Friday transferred several senior officials and shunted out some of the senior babus perceived to be close to the previous regime.

Secretary-level transfer has been effected in most of the major departments,including agriculture,industries,higher education,transport,municipal administration and water supply,PWD,highways,power,housing and urban development,textiles and tourism.

In all,nearly 50 officials were transferred in two batches,which came a few days after the tentative reshuffles in the past few days.

Though it was made public on Friday,the first round of orders were issued dated May 19,while the second batch bore Fridays date.

Those shunted out included senior official K Deenabandu,the principal secretary to former deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin,as the commissioner of rehabilitation; high-profile industries secretary Rajeev Ranjan,again functioning under Stalin,as the commissioner of sugar; and PWC Davidar,the IT secretary till now,as the MD of salt corporation.

Health secretary V K Subburaj,rural development secretary K Allauddin and energy secretary C P Singh were among those who found themselves in relatively insignificant posts after the transfer spree.

Interestingly,Allauddin takes the place of civil servant C Umashankar,who was sidelined by the DMK regime after becoming a thorn in the flesh for the powers that be,at the largely insignificant state small industries department. Umashankar is yet to be given a new posting.

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Beyond criticisms of vindictiveness that are bound to be raised under such circumstances,the new regime has retained a few of the good performers who did not associate themselves with any political camps in the last few years. For instance,managing director of the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu,Elcot,Santhosh Babu has been made the secretary of IT,one of the youngest officials to reach the secretary level.

Former food secretary Swaran Singh has been made the CMD of electricity board,while former home secretary K Gnanadesikan was appointed as the commissioner of revenue administration.