Govt advisor, AG resign, bureaucracy awaits changes

Govt advisor, AG resign, bureaucracy awaits changes

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:04.05.2021

Former chief secretary and advisor to the EPS government, K Shanmugam, advocate-general Vijay Narayan, and scores of government legal counsel on Monday resigned their posts in view of the regime change. The seat of power, Fort St George, is abuzz with talk of the changes expected in a week’s time.

Rajeev Ranjan is unlikely to continue as chief secretary. “Senior bureaucrat V Irai Anbu’s name doing the rounds. The new regime could decide in a matter of a few days,” said a source. Additional chief secretary Irai Anbu is director of Anna Institute of Management and director-general of training.

Senior officers such as commissioner of archaeology T Udhayachandran, commissioner of museums M S Shanmugam and TN medical services corporation chief P Umanath, have become ‘interim connect’ for the bureaucracy and are likely to get important roles. The trio are spotted in chief ministerelect M K Stalin’s Chittaranjan Salai residence for the second day in a row.

Key changes are expected in several departments, including municipal administration and rural development, PWD and highways. “They will be choosy. It is unlikely they will do carpet bombing at this point of time,” said another source. Bureaucrats expect the changes in a phased manner.

Shanmugam’s resignation came soon after Palaniswami put in his papers in the morning. He was appointed advisor to the EPS for a period of one year from January

31. “Due to personal reasons, I intend to resign from the post of advisor,” Shanmugam said, in his letter to the chief secretary.

Palaniswami chose Shanmugam, a Salem native, as chief secretary on June 30, 2019. He was to retire on July 31, 2020, but was given an extension twice by the Union government after requests from EPS citing Covid management. In May last year, DMK MPs submitted privilege notices against Shanmugam.

Vijay Narayan said that time had come for him to return to private practice. Following suit, state public prosecutor A Natarajan, government pleader V Jayaprakash Narayanan and other law officers tendered their resignations.

(With inputs from C Sureshkumar)