Two Collectors within a fortnight in Madurai

Madurai, Mar 3 (UNI) Even before the dust kicked up by the transfer of T Udhayachandran as District Collector could settle down, the Tamil Nadu Government has shunted out his successor within a fortnight of assuming office.

D Karthikeyan, who assumed office on February 21, the day his predecessor Mr Udhachandran was transferred, has been replaced by S S Jawahar, currently District Collector Virudhunagar.

Dr Karthikeyan had assumed office under the cloud of resignation threat from presidents of three controversial reserved panchayats, who had even decided to proceed to Chennai to stall the transfer of Udhachandran, perceived to be instrumental in holding elections to the panchayats after a decade of poll boycott by the dominant castes.

The panchayat presidents had expressed apprehension about safety of their life and property following the transfer.

They, however, withdrew the resignation threat reportedly under coercion from DMK functionaries.

Karthikeyan who proceeded on leave on March had extended it further.

In Virudhunagar district, Jawahar had ensured that the election to the Kottakachiyendal reserved panchayat, which too witnessed a decade-long poll boycott, passed off smoothly.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) had condemned the state government for the bureaucratic shuffle. Party District (Rural) Secretary V Sundaram, in a statement described the recent transfer as a meaningless exercise. Even the transfer of Udhayachandran, barely after an eight-month tenure, was inexplicable, he observed and said frequent shunting of officials would affect the morale of the administration.

UNI