Senior IAS officer and former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K. Gnanadesikan and Commissioner of Geology and Mining Atul Anand were on Monday suspended along with six other government officials pending an inquiry into certain charges allegedly linked to “beach sand mining” in the southern districts.
While three of the suspended officials belong to the Geology and Mining Department, three others were working in the Environment Department, including the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
Mr. Gnanadesikan, who was Chief Secretary for about one-and-a-half years till early June when P. Rama Mohana Rao replaced him, was holding the post of Chairman and Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) in the rank of Additional Chief Secretary. Mr. Atul Anand was also serving as Managing Director of Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT).
Though the State government did not spell out the reasons for their suspension, several theories are doing the rounds.
