In first major IAS reshuffle of UDF govt, N Prasanth and B Ashok get new postings

T’puram: In the first major reshuffle since assuming office, the UDF govt on Monday carried out a major IAS reshuffle, posting reinstated officers N Prasanth and B Ashok to key positions while effecting wide-ranging changes across departments and public sector undertakings.

N Prasanth who was under suspension for over one and a half years, has been posted as special secretary, sports department, with additional charge of youth affairs, zoos, museum, archaeology and archives departments. B Ashok, who was reinstated into service, was posted as principal secretary, higher education department.

M G Rajamanickam, secretary, revenue and disaster management department, was appointed chairman and managing director (MD) of KSEB. He will also hold additional charges of the power, environment and parliamentary affairs departments while continuing his responsibilities in the devaswom department.

Minhaj Alam, chairman and MD of KSEB, was transferred as additional chief secretary, agriculture department and agriculture production commissioner. He was also given additional charge of the sports, youth affairs, zoos, museum, archaeology and archives departments.

Sharmila Mary Joseph was shifted from the woman and child development (WCD) department to the health and family welfare department as principal secretary and was also given charge of the food and civil supplies and consumer affairs department. Raju Narayanaswamy was moved from parliamentary affairs to the Sainik welfare department as principal secretary.

T V Anupama was transferred from the local self govt department (LSGD) to the transport department and was entrusted with additional charges of airports, metro rail, personnel and administrative reforms and official language departments. Rathan U Kelkar, secretary to the chief minister, was given additional charge of the coastal shipping and inland navigation department, information and public relations department and welfare of the elderly department. Biju K was shifted from the public works department (PWD) to the forests and wildlife department and was also assigned skill development and cashew departments.

Jeevan Babu K, commissioner of land revenue, was posted as special secretary, revenue and disaster management department, while Suhas S, MD of roads and bridges development corporation of Kerala (RBDCK), was transferred as special secretary, water resources department. Adeela Abdulla was moved to the PWD as special secretary, while Shanavas S was posted as special secretary, LSGD with additional responsibilities in RBDCK, the capital region development project and the social audit society.

D Sajith Babu, registrar of co-operative societies, was posted as special secretary, general education department and given additional charge of minority welfare. T V Subhash was shifted to the agriculture department as special secretary, while Sheeba George was moved to the WCD department with additional charges of labour, dairy development and animal husbandry.

H Dineshan, executive director of Kudumbashree, was appointed commissioner, land revenue and also given charge of the disaster management commissioner. Divya S Iyer was posted as principal director, LSGD and was also entrusted with the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project and the National AYUSH Mission.

Afsana Perween was appointed director of collegiate education with additional charge of the controller of entrance examinations. Geromic George was posted as additional secretary and officer on special duty in the finance department and was also given charge of Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd and the Kerala Maritime Board.

Renu Raj, returning from study leave, was posted as additional secretary, health and family welfare department and was assigned additional responsibilities in Kerala Medical Services Corporation, Kerala Health Research and Welfare Society and the State Health Systems Resource Centre. Shibu A was transferred as additional secretary, revenue department, while Vinod V R was posted as additional secretary, PWD.