Udhayanidhi's entry marks shuffle in TN Cabinet ministry

CHENNAI: The entry of Chepauk-Triplicane MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin into the Ministry as Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister on Wednesday resulted in the shuffle of the Ministry.

Apart from the youth welfare and sports Development department, which was previously held by Minister for Environment and Climate Change Siva V Meyyanathan, Udhayanidhi has been entrusted with the additional tasks of Special Programme Implementation department, held previously by Chief Minister MK Stalin, and Poverty Alleviation programme and Rural Indebtedness, previously held by former Rural Development Minister KR Periyakaruppan.

Former Minister of Cooperation I Periyasamy was given the Rural Development Ministry and Periyakaruppan was made the Minister of Cooperation.

Similarly, there was an exchange of ministry between Ministers K Ramachandran and M Mathiventhan as Ramanchandran is now the Minister for Tourism and Mathiventhan is now the Minister for Forests.

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) which was earlier with Housing Minister S Muthusamy has been transferred to HR&CE Minister PK Sekar Babu.

The Department of Khadi and Village Industries Board which was with Handlooms Minister R Gandhi has now been transferred to Minister for Backward Classes Welfare RS Raja Kannappan.

Department of Statistics and the department for the welfare of Ex-service which were with I Periyasamy has been transferred to Finance Minister Palaivel Thiaga Rajan and the Meyyanathan, respectively.

Team Udhayanidhi has three experienced IAS officers:

Udhayanidhi who has been given three departments has senior and experienced IAS officers for all the three departments.

For Youth Welfare and Sports Development department Atulya Misra is the Secretary, for Special Programme Implementation department Udhayachandran, who is also the CM Secretary-I, is the Secretary and for Poverty Alleviation programme and Rural Indebtedness P Amudha is the Secretary.

Officials in the Secretariat said that Udhayanidhi is a first-timer and will be guided efficiently by the senior IAS officers.