Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has effected a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle in the state by redeploying 10 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials. The CM effected the change using the special powers vested on him which does not require cabinet approval.
G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, who rejoined after a period of leave, has been posted as principal secretary (public works). Biju Prabhakar, who held the post of special secretary (public works), becomes special secretary at the social justice department. In his last assignment, he had been co-ordinating district collectors in the task of acquiring land for mega projects including the National Highways.
Returning from deputation at the Center, Sanjeev Kaushik becomes principal secretary (finance planning). He will hold additional charge of managing director (MD) Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC) in the place of M.G. Rajamanickam, who will continue to hold the post of MD, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).
The KSRTC from now on will only have an MD, instead of the chairman and managing director (CMD). While the CMD used to be an IAS officer in the secretary rank, the MD will be a joint secretary-rank officer.
Pinarayi gave full additional charge of administrative reforms and aviation to Biswanath Sinha, principal secretary, general administration.
Secretary (finance planning) Sharmila Mary Joseph becomes secretary (finance expenditure). P. Venugopal, special secretary in charge of co-operatives, gets additional responsibility of the planning board. Land Board secretary C.A. Latha will have extra charge of registration inspector-general (IG) too.
K. Ramachandran becomes the new rural development commissioner. Sriram Venkitaraman, director, employment and training, gets an added responsibility: chief executive officer, additional skill acquisition program (ASAP).
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