Two Advisers, One Chief Secretary: TN's New Administrative Experiment Draws Mixed Reactions

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government's decision to have two advisers to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay working alongside Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar has generated mixed reactions within Tamil Nadu's official circles.

Vishnu Reddy and John Arockiasamy were appointed as advisers to the Chief Minister in May. One handles political affairs, while the other looks after public events and general matters. The Chief Minister is also assisted by a team of four IAS officers, one of whom has over three decades of experience.

Advisers to Chief Ministers are not a new feature in the State. Since 1989, various regimes have appointed them, beginning with the DMK. However, the track record has not always been smooth, with differences frequently emerging between advisers and Chief Secretaries.

In late January 1989, former Finance Secretary S. Guhan, who had served with the Willy Brandt Commission, was appointed adviser to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. He held the post until June 1990, when he was made a member of the State Planning Commission. At the time, it was widely discussed that his relationship with then Chief Secretary M.M. Rajendran was strained. In May 1998, outgoing Chief Secretary K.A. Nambiar was offered the role but declined it.

During the AIADMK governments led by Jayalalithaa and her successor O. Panneerselvam, former Chief Secretary Sheela Balakrishnan served as adviser for nearly three years, from March 2014 to February 2017. She was seen as so influential that many officials felt she overshadowed the Chief Secretaries of that period. In September 2014, when Jayalalithaa was convicted in a disproportionate assets case, Ms. Balakrishnan's name was speculated as a possible successor. Former Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam held the adviser's post between February and April 2021. Under the government's rules of business, files do not pass through advisers.

Against this backdrop, the latest appointments had prompted scepticism in some quarters about whether the arrangement would run smoothly. One section of officials maintains there is no problem at all, arguing that the division of responsibilities is clear enough to prevent conflict. In their view, the advisers serve the Chief Minister, examining policy matters from the standpoint of political implications, while Secretaries take instructions from their Ministers and the Chief Secretary.

Another section of the bureaucracy, however, believes Dr. Sai Kumar is in full control of the administration and at times conveys the impression that he is the boss, making the advisers' position appear less significant. During the recent Budget Session of the Assembly, his grip was considered so tight that some Ministers were unaware in advance of statements the Chief Minister made in the House under Rule 110.

While sections of the media have reported that the government is displeased with the Chief Secretary over the Navodaya school row, other officials reject such accounts, saying he enjoys the utmost confidence of Mr. Vijay, which is why he has been able to assert his position.