Kerala has reshuffled senior IAS officers across key departments, appointing K R Jyothilal as additional chief secretary (Home) and moving Minhaj Alam to Finance in a wider administrative reorganisation covering health, power, local self-government, industries and other portfolios.
Jyothilal, who moves into the Home department, will also hold additional charge of water resources, housing and coir. Alam, who was handling Home, will take over as additional chief secretary (Finance) and will also oversee taxes, public procurement advisory departments and the Rebuild Kerala Initiative. He will additionally serve as chairman of the Kerala Financial Corporation.
The changes extend to departments responsible for essential public services and urban administration. M G Rajamanickam, who was heading the Kerala State Electricity Board, has been appointed secretary of the Local Self Government Department. He will continue to hold charge of the devaswom department. Puneet Kumar, the resident commissioner of Kerala House in Delhi, has been appointed additional chief secretary (Power) while retaining his resident commissioner role.
In the health and education departments, APM Mohammed Hanish has been appointed additional chief secretary (Health). He will also hold additional charge of general education, Ayush, revenue related to waqf and minority welfare. Sharmila Mary Joseph, who was serving in a senior administrative role connected with health, has been shifted to the Transport department as principal secretary and will also handle Women and Child Development. Sajith Babu has been moved out of the education department and appointed to another role.
The reshuffle also changes the administrative leadership of local governance and public finance. Anupama TV, who was secretary of the Local Self Government Department, has been appointed finance secretary (expenditure) and will hold additional charge of the Environment department. M Beena, who returned from central deputation, has been appointed principal secretary (Industries). S Suhas has been posted as special secretary (Electronics and Information Technology) with additional charge of Industries.
Prasanth N, who has been appointed chairman and managing director of KSEB, will continue as special secretary for sports and youth affairs. Veena N Madhavan has been shifted from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Department to Agriculture and will also serve as agricultural production commissioner.
Several other appointments affect economic administration and public-facing agencies. Jafar Malik, who returned from central deputation, has been appointed commissioner of the Goods and Services Tax department and will hold additional charge as special secretary (Taxes). PB Nooh has been appointed special secretary (Labour), while S Sambasiva Rao will take charge as special secretary (SC/ST Development) while continuing as excise commissioner. Abdul Nasar B has been appointed special secretary (Cooperation).
The order also appoints Subhash TV as managing director of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited, with additional charge as commissioner of Food Safety. Afsana Perween, who returned from leave, has been appointed managing director of Milma and will also serve as chief executive officer of NORKA Roots. Other appointments include Devidas N as director of Employment and Training, Asif K Yusuf as additional secretary for Higher Education and Anu Kumari as tourism director.
