Tamil Nadu Home Secretary, others transferred in bureaucratic reshuffle

The state Home Secretary has been replaced with Dheeraj Kumar, currently Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Information Technology and Digital Services Department.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Home Secretary P Amudha was on Tuesday transferred to a relatively non-significant Revenue and Disaster Management Department, close on the heels of the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi that claimed the lives of 66 people and the murder of state BSP chief K Armstrong. 

Amudha was among more than 60 IAS officers who were transferred from their current posts in a major reshuffle of bureaucrats carried out by Chief Minister M K Stalin’s dispensation. 

Amudha, a no-nonsense officer known for her integrity, was replaced with Dheeraj Kumar, an officer in the rank of Additional Chief Secretary who was the IT secretary.  The woman bureaucrat will now be the secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management Department and her transfer comes after the Tamil Nadu Police came under relentless attack from Opposition parties and activists over the deteriorating law and order situation. 

Amudha’s transfer also comes a week after the government shunted out Chennai city police commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore and his senior colleagues including Additional Commissioner (North) following Armstrong’s murder. Prior to the murder, the government, especially the police and Home department which is under Stalin, came under attack for failing to prevent the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi. 

Sources in the government said the transfers were part of a major rehaul of the bureaucracy. “The Kallakurichi incident and Armstrong murder created an impression that law and order in the state was sinking. Some major course correction was needed, and we believe the transfers in the past one week will help achieve the goal,” a source told DH.

In the past, Amudha held the crucial rural development department after she was repatriated to her home cadre from Central deputation. Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) got a new commissioner in J Kumaragurubaran, replacing J Radhakrishnan who moves to the Cooperation, Food, and Consumer Protection Department. 

S Madhumathi will be the new School Education Secretary replacing Kumaragurubaran, while Kumar Jayant moves to the IT Department in place of Dheeraj Kumar. Several district collectors and secretaries of departments were also transferred.