CHENNAI: Normally, politicians and bureaucrats differ not only in their educational backgrounds but also in their dress code. However, the heart of governance — the state Secretariat — witnessed a rare sight on Wednesday, with no visible difference between politicians and bureaucrats in attire.

All of them wore traditional dhotis and sarees, as Chief Minister Stalin participated in Pongal celebrations at the Secretariat.

In a speech, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam said: “The CM has given several sweet announcements to the TN people ahead of the festival, including Rs 3,000 cash for ration card holders and the new pension scheme for government employees. His participation in the Pongal celebrations at the Secretariat is the first such occasion in the Secretariat’s history.”

Greeting the staff and sharing sweet Pongal with them, the CM said that the Dravidian model government was working towards the goal of “everything for everyone”, and expressed his appreciation for the staff who worked 24/7 for people’s welfare.

Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, Ministers Subramanian, Sivasankar, Sekarbabu, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, and Mano Thangaraj, and senior IAS officers, also participated in the event.