40 transfers of IAS, IPS officers in 30 days

Chennai: In the past 30 days, the state government transferred more than 40 IAS and IPS officers, some of them being promoted. The transfers gained momentum on December 2, with the state relieving then chief secretary Mohan Varghese Chunkath, replacing him with senior officer K. Gnanadesikan. The list also includes more than a dozen district collectors and district superintendents of police while there have been instances of senior officers, like Mohan Pyare, being transferred twice in the past one month.

On December 2, Mohan Pyare, who was then housing secretary, was shifted to the youth welfare and sports development department. On December 23, the non-controversial principal secretary was appointed commissioner of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy. A highly placed official said, “The department transfers and promotions were normal. They got piled up for two months, resulting in more promotions this December.”

“It’s annoying when department secretaries are periodically transferred. Files accumulate, adding to the chaos,” said a deputy secretary in the secretariat. The police department also witnessed a series of transfers, starting from Chennai city law and order and the traffic police wing. On December 23, the state transferred 17 IPS officers. Thereafter, the promotion spree began for the men in khaki, with 96 inspectors promoted as assistant commissioners.

On Saturday, four additional deputy commissioners were promoted as deputy commissioners and two of them were transferred to Chennai. Some of the recent IAS transfers that made headlines include, former Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar to a less important portfolio. Controversial officer M. Sagayam’s shift from Co-Optex to Science City and Dr Pingale Vijay Maruti from Chennai Corporation to the Industries Department.