Divya S Iyer removed from Vizhinjam MD post; B Ashok appointed principal secretary, N Prasanth special secretary

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The expected major reshuffle in the IAS officer ranks in the state happened late on Monday night. B. Ashok, who returned after the suspension, has been appointed as the Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department.

N. Prasanth was appointed as the Special Secretary of the Sports Department. He has also been given the additional charge of Youth Welfare, Museum-Archives.

T.V. Anupama is the Secretary of the Transport Department. She was also given additional charge of Metro Rail, Airports, and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development. M.G. Rajamanickam has been transferred from the Revenue and Disaster Management Department and appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of KSEB. He will also be given the charge of Secretary of the Power, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs Departments. He will continue to be in charge of Devaswom.

Divya S. Iyer has been transferred to the new role of Principal Director of the Local Government Department. She was also given the charge of Director of the AYUSH Mission. Geromic George has been transferred from the Local Government Department to the Additional Secretary of the Finance (Expenditure) Department. He has also been given the charge of Managing Director of Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited and the charge of CEO of the Kerala Maritime Board.

Bishwanath Sinha has been given the full additional charge of the Coir Development and Housing Departments in addition to the post of Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Vigilance Department. He has been relieved of the charge of the Coastal Shipping and Inland Water Transport Department. K.R. Jyotilal, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, has been given the charge of the Planning and Economic Affairs Department and full additional charge of the Member Secretary, State Planning Board. He will continue to hold the charge of the Taxation Department and the Rebuild Kerala Initiative.

Dr Rajan N. Khobragade will continue to hold the charge of the Health and Family Welfare Department and the AYUSH Department. Minhaj Alam has been transferred from the post of KSEB Chairman and appointed as Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Department and Agricultural Production Commissioner. He has also been given the additional charge of the Sports, Youth Welfare, Museums and Archives Departments.

Tinku Biswal, Principal Secretary, Local Government Department, has been given the additional charge of IMG Director General. He has been removed from the Agriculture Department. Dr Ratan U. Kelkar, Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office, has been given the additional charge of Coastal Shipping, PRD, and Senior Citizens Welfare Departments. K. Biju, Secretary, GAD, has been given the charge of Forests and Skill Development and has been removed from the Public Works Department.

Adheela Abdullah has been made Special Secretary, Public Works Department from the Social Justice Department. S. Shanavas, Special Secretary, Labour Department, has been transferred to the Local Government Department. He has also been given the additional responsibilities of MD, Roads and Bridges Corporation, Special Officer, Capital Development Project, and President, Social Audit Society.

Dr Raju Narayanaswamy, Principal Secretary, Parliamentary Affairs, has been transferred to the Military Welfare Department. Dr Sharmila Mary Joseph, Principal Secretary, Women and Child Welfare Department, has been transferred to the Health and Family Welfare Department. She has retained the charge of the Public Food Distribution Department. She has been relieved of the charge of other departments.

Snehil Kumar Singh has been appointed as Director of General Education. Asif K. Yousuf has been transferred from the post of Director of General Education to Director of Norka. Prem Krishnan S has been appointed as Registrar of Cooperative Societies. Sreedhanya Suresh has been appointed as the Additional Director of Tourism and as the new Food Safety Commissioner.

Dr Arun J.O has been appointed as Director of Survey and Land Records and Director of the State Water Transport Department. Harshil R. Meena has been appointed as Managing Director of KTDC. The new appointments have been made by creating temporary ex-cadre posts to ensure administrative efficiency in important posts such as Principal Director of the Local Self-Government Department and Land Revenue Commissioner.