Chennai: Newly appointed Chief Secretary K Shanmugam and state police chief J K Tripathy on Sunday assumed charge of their respective posts. They were named by the state government on Saturday to succeed Girija Vaidyanathan and TK Rajendran, who retired as Chief Secretary and DGP respectively.
A native of Salem district, Shanmugam held the post of Finance Secretary for nine years through the DMK and the AIADMK governments, prior to his present elevation as the Chief Secretary.
The 1985 batch IAS officer has been credited for balancing the delicate debt situation of the successive governments with deft handling of his office as the Finance Secretary in preparing the state budget all these nine years.
Tripathy is a 1985 batch IPS officer and has been hailed on multiple occasions for his sensitive and competent handling of whatever responsibilities and positions assigned to him throughout his illustrious career in the police - including that of DGP (Prisons) when he devised constructive mechanism to positively engage the prisoners in profit-earning enterprises. His stints as Police Commissioner at Chennai and Tiruchy have been noteworthy in such exercises aimed at the evolution of people-friendly police force that is also strict and tough in enforcing law and order.
Tripathy hails from Odisha. His most recent position before taking charge as the state police head was as the DGP heading the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board as its Chairman.
While the IAS Officers’Association held a farewell function for Girija Vaidyanathan at the Secretariat two days ago, a similar function for TK Rajendran was held on Sunday at an impressive police parade at the Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore.
Speaking at this function, Rajendran said he had served in the police force for 35 years. The last couple of years have been challenging and difficult, said the 1984 IPS batch officer, who is likely to get a new responsibility in the government as its security adviser.
Earlier, as he left the state police headquarters at the Marina after handing over charge to J K Tripathy, Rajendran was given a warm send-off by the senior officers and also his personal staff. His car was decorated like a chariot and was pulled for some distance by police officers as a ceremonial gesture reflecting their love and respect for the boss who was going home for good. But is he really going for good?
Girija Vaidyanathan and Rajendran called on Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at his camp office (residence) to take leave of him and also get his good wishes. They presented him with bouquets.
