Muruganandam appointed as new Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary
The appointment came a day after Shiv Das Meena, the former Chief Secretary was transferred and appointed as the chairman of TNRERA
Muruganandam appointed as new Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary (Photo: Manivasagan N)
(L-R) N Muruganandam, Tamil Nadu Secretariat
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government, on Monday, appointed Additional Chief Secretary N Muruganandam as the new Chief Secretary of the State.
An order issued by the State government said N Muruganandam, Additional Chief Secretary and Chief Minister's Secretary-I, has been transferred and posted as the new Chief Secretary of the State, replacing Shiv Das Meena who was appointed chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) on Sunday. Muruganandam would be the 50th Chief Secretary of the State.
A 1991 batch IAS officer, 56-year-old Muruganandam has held various key positions in the State, including the secretaries of the Finance and Industries departments. As Industries Secretary Muruganandam bolstered the industrial climate in the State, playing a crucial role in getting Ola and Tata Electronics to set up shop in Tamil Nadu.
He also served as the Finance Secretary when the maiden budget of the CM Stalin-led government was presented in November 2021. He also helmed the Industries department during the previous AIADMK regime led by Edappadi K Palaniswami, that too during the testing COVID times. He was a member of the special task force set up in 2020 to woo investors that were threatening to quit China and migrate to India like South East Asian countries with the potential to boost the manufacturing sector.
A BE (Computer Science) graduate from Anna University with an MBA from IIM, Muruganandam had earlier served as the Collector of Coimbatore. A senior bureaucrat unwilling to be quoted said, "He is humble, but a go-getter. His working relationship with the political leadership is very good. It was evident when he was allowed to continue as Industries Secretary by the incumbent government after regime change in 2021."
Incidentally, Muruganandam's wife Supriya Sahu is also a senior IAS officer, presently the Health Secretary.
ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu secretariat abuzz with speculations about 50th Chief Secretary
(With online desk inputs)