CM hand-picked officials to ensure COVID strategy continuity

The transfers are coming in a phased manner and on Monday the state transferred five collectors heading Tiruchy, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Salem and Madurai.

“The expected transfers of district collectors, SPs and department secretaries is taking time as the CM is keen on identifying the resourceful officers who will help the state to tackle COVID crisis. The entire focus is now on Health Department and the coronavirus lockdown,” a highly placed source, who frequents between the Secretariat and the CM’s camp office told DT Next.

“The current focus is to position either an upright officer or a task master who can handle the administration during a lockdown and that is the reason senior officers like Gagandeep Singh Bedi and Rajesh Lakhoni were posted as Chennai Corporation Commissioner and Tangedco Chairman,” the source added.

“Bedi is a terrain oriented hard working official and can bring in change at the Chennai Corporation that is crucial to bring the COVID cases down in Chennai. And in case of Lakhoni, he is known for handling the administrative mess. There are corruption charges, tender violations and daily credit operation issues with the TNEB which is huge loss making entity,” said a government official who has worked under both Bedi and Lakhoni.

The officer also hinted that there are changes expected in departments like municipal administration, health, home and education. “War room and control centres are given significance and eight young IAS officers have been deputed for these coordination works. To ensure the supply of uninterrupted oxygen supply, officers are deputed to other states for monitoring works,” the official explained. He added that the coronavirus infections is delaying the transfers of several district SPs, collectors and department secretaries even as the elected DMK MLAs want the transfers at the earliest.