Udhayachandran posted TIIC chief, Darez Ahamed new Health Secy

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday carried out a fresh bureaucratic reshuffle, appointing senior IAS officer Darez Ahamed as Secretary to the Health and Family Welfare department, while former Finance Secretary T Udhayachandran was posted as Chairman and Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation (TIIC).

The reshuffle, seen as a significant administrative realignment within the higher bureaucracy, came a day after Udhayachandran was relieved from the Finance Department. A seasoned officer who had earlier served as Secretary-I to former Chief Minister MK Stalin, Udhayachandran was widely regarded in administrative circles as one of the key architects of the previous regime's governance structure.

In the latest round of postings, Anu George was appointed Secretary to the Animal Husbandry, Dairy, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare department, while Mariam Pallavi Baldev was named Secretary to the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment department.

Anu George had earlier served as Secretary-III to the former Chief Minister and was considered part of the influential administrative team functioning out of the Secretariat during the Stalin-led government.

Kumar Jayant, who had been serving as Additional Chief Secretary and CMD of TIIC, was placed at the disposal of Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) as part of the reshuffle.

Darez Ahamed's appointment to the Health Department assumes significance given his extensive administrative experience in public health, rural development and district administration. An officer known for his field-level governance exposure, Ahamed had trained as an Assistant Collector under Udhayachandran during the latter's tenure as Madurai Collector.

During his early years in service, Ahamed was involved in the conduct of panchayat elections in sensitive villages such as Pappapatti, an exercise often cited in governance discussions on social inclusion and grassroots democracy.

Over the years, he served as Sub-Collector of Devakottai, Additional Collector in Madurai and Krishnagiri districts, Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes in Chennai North Division, and Deputy Commissioner (Works) in the Chennai Corporation. He later became Collector of Perambalur district, where he initiated several developmental measures aimed at improving economic indicators in the backward region.

Ahamed also served as Mission Director of the National Health Mission in Tamil Nadu, a role that officials said gave him substantial administrative exposure in the healthcare sector ahead of his latest assignment.