Chennai: In a major bureaucratic development, the state government on Friday shifted out home secretary Apurva Varma and brought principal secretary Niranjan Mardi in his place.
A late evening order issued by chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan said Apurva Varma has been posted as principal secretary of tourism, culture and hindu religious endowments. He had replaced Mardi as home secretary in December 2013. Now Mardi, a 1986 batch IAS officer, is back in the pivotal position as the home secretary controlling the all-important police department besides some other sensitive departments.
The government order also said that services of P. Umanath, commissioner of rehabilitation and welfare of non-resident Tamils, are placed at the disposal of Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation to be appointed as its managing director in the place of Ms Apporva, who has been transferred as MD of the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (Sidco). Senior IAS officer Mangat Ram Sharma has been holding additional charge of Sidco.
