The State government on Tuesday appointed senior IAS officer Apurva Varma as the new Home Secretary. Varma, hitherto the Higher Education Secretary, called on Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat. It also effected transfers of several other IAS officials on the same day. Outgoing Home Secretary Niranjan Mardi has been appointed as Commissioner of Economics and Statistics.
K Rajaraman, hitherto Secretary, Special Initiatives and MD, Chennai Metro Rail Limited and Member Secretary (incharge), Sports Development Authority of TN will be taking over as the Secretary/Commissioner of Commercial Taxes.
Rajaraman replaces K Manivasan, who will be assuming charge as the State Commissioner for the welfare of Differently-abled Persons. Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Project Director, TN Health Systems Project will be taking over the MD of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited.
NS Palaniappan, Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department shall hold full additional charge as Secretary, Higher Education Department.
VK Jeyakodi, hitherto the Commissioner for the welfare of the Differently-abled Persons, has been appointed as the Member Secretary to the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.
V Irai Anbu, Secretary/Commissioner of Economics and Statistics has been transferred as the Secretary/Director, Anna Institute of Management and Director General of Training.