CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has effected a reshuffle involving three IAS officers, making changes in key administrative positions related to town panchayats, e-Governance and the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT).
The changes were notified by the state government on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, through an order issued by Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar.
Under the latest arrangement, K.P. Karthikeyan, who was serving as Managing Director of ELCOT, has been transferred and posted as Director of Town Panchayats. He will replace B. Priyanka in the post.
Priyanka, in turn, has been assigned the responsibility of Director of e-Governance, the position that Karthikeyan had been holding as an additional charge. She will also function as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency (TNeGA).
Meanwhile, B. Vishnu Chandran, who was away on foreign deputation, has returned to the state and has been posted as the Managing Director of ELCOT, according to the government order.
K.P. Karthikeyan Moves to Town Panchayats
The reshuffle moves K.P. Karthikeyan from the technology and electronics sector to the administration of town panchayats.
Karthikeyan was serving as the Managing Director of Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT)before the latest transfer. In addition to his principal assignment, he was also holding the Director of e-Governancepost as an additional charge.
With the latest order, he will now serve as Director of Town Panchayats, taking over from B. Priyanka.
The change marks a shift in his immediate administrative responsibilities, with the Town Panchayats Directorate being brought under his charge.
B. Priyanka to Head e-Governance
B. Priyanka, who was serving as Director of Town Panchayats, has been moved to the e-Governance side of the state administration.
She has been appointed Director of e-Governance, thereby taking over the position that Karthikeyan had been holding as an additional responsibility.
In addition to serving as Director of e-Governance, Priyanka will also function as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency.
The move places both the policy and implementation responsibilities associated with the state’s e-Governance framework under her charge.
Vishnu Chandran Returns From Foreign Deputation
The third change concerns B. Vishnu Chandran, who has returned to Tamil Nadu after serving on foreign deputation.
Following his return, the government has posted him as Managing Director of ELCOT.
He will therefore take over the leadership of the state-owned electronics and technology organisation from Karthikeyan.
The appointment also completes the chain of changes triggered by the movement of Karthikeyan from ELCOT and Priyanka from Town Panchayats.
Three-Way Administrative Reshuffle
The latest order effectively creates a three-way change across the three officers and their respective responsibilities.
The key changes are:
- K.P. Karthikeyan: Managing Director, ELCOT → Director of Town Panchayats
- B. Priyanka: Director of Town Panchayats → Director of e-Governance and CEO, Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency
- B. Vishnu Chandran: Returned from foreign deputation → Managing Director, ELCOT
The government order issued by Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar formally gives effect to these changes.
Focus on Town Panchayats and e-Governance
The reshuffle comes with important administrative responsibilities being redistributed between the three officers.
While Karthikeyan will now oversee the Town Panchayats Directorate, Priyanka will take charge of e-Governanceand the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency.
ELCOT, meanwhile, will return under the leadership of Vishnu Chandran following his return from foreign deputation.
The changes thus cover three distinct but important areas of the state administration — local governance at the town-panchayat level, digital governance and the state’s electronics and technology infrastructure.
With the October 6 order, the Tamil Nadu government has put in place the revised assignments for all three officers.
