CHENNAI: Finance secretary K Shanmugam and TN Uniformed Services Recruitment Board DGP & Chairman JK Tripathy have been appointed the next Chief Secretary and DGP (law and order) of Tamil Nadu, respectively, according to an order dated June 28, 2019. Both are likely to assume charge on Monday. Shanmugam superseded five senior colleagues — R Rajagopal, V K Jeyakodi, Meenakshi Rajagopal, Ruolkhumlien Buhril and Rajiv Ranjan.
The officer, who started his IAS career in 1987, has headed key departments in the State, including rural development, micro & small scale enterprises and food and cooperation. He has been finance secretary from May 2010 and handled the State finances in difficult times, helping prepare nine budgets and two interim budgets. During his tenure, social welfare schemes got a big boost. He played a key role in devising development and infrastructure schemes.
He was expected to be appointed chief secretary in 2016 when then chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao was removed from the post after his residence and official premises were raided. But, Girija Vaidyanathan was picked instead.
JK Tripathy, who hails from Odisha, belongs to the 1985 IPS batch. He was selected for the top post by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami from a short-list made by the Union Public Service Commission.
He has an MPhil from JNU and has served as Superintendent of Police in nine districts. He was Commissioner of Police and DIG, Tiruchy. He has held many key positions in the police department.