Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has reportedly adopted an unusual administrative approach by insisting on interacting only with Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar on important government files, instead of holding the customary meetings with departmental secretaries, according to a report by Junior Vikatan.
As per the report, it is a long-established administrative practice for departmental secretaries to personally brief the Chief Minister when significant files are placed for approval at Fort St. George. These meetings provide an opportunity for secretaries to explain policy matters, clarify departmental issues, and offer feedback on the functioning of their respective ministries.
However, Junior Vikatan claims that Chief Minister Vijay has told officials that he would meet only Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar regarding official matters.
தலைமைச் செயலாளரை மட்டும்தான் சந்திப்பேன்!
– ஜூ.வி. மிஸ்டர் கழுகுஇந்த ஜூனியர் விகடன் இதழில்… தற்போது விற்பனையில்…https://t.co/Xn67P4xzDy#JuniorVikatan #Magazine #MrKazhugu #TamilPolitics pic.twitter.com/6GFDuSkUUY
— @JuniorVikatan (@JuniorVikatan) July 1, 2026
Quoting senior IAS officers, the report states that this departure from convention has led to concerns within the bureaucracy.
According to Junior Vikatan, senior IAS officers expressed concern that departmental secretaries were unable to brief the Chief Minister directly on important departmental matters or share feedback on how ministers were cooperating, alleging that Chief Minister Vijay preferred to interact only with Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar.
M. Sai Kumar was retained as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Secretary by the newly formed government after Chief Minister Vijay assumed office, a decision that was widely viewed as an effort to ensure administrative continuity and stability rather than undertake a large-scale bureaucratic reshuffle.
As the state’s senior-most civil servant, Sai Kumar heads the Tamil Nadu administration and coordinates governance across departments. Although he is due to retire in August 2026, the government retained him in the top bureaucratic post, signalling its preference for experienced leadership during the transition to the new administration.
While retaining the Chief Secretary was projected as a move to facilitate smooth governance and uninterrupted implementation of government programmes, the latest report suggests that some officials believe the limited direct interaction between the Chief Minister and departmental secretaries could restrict opportunities for detailed discussions on departmental functioning and inter-ministerial coordination.
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