Brahmapuram Fire: IAS Renu Raj Transferred, NSK Umesh Becomes New Ernakulam District Collector

The move comes after the High Court order expressed displeasure over the Collector's absence during the hearing of a suo moto notice related to Brahmapuram waste plant fire in Kochi.

Dr Renu Raj was transferred and posted as the Collector of Wayanad district (File Photo) ( Image Source :ANI )

In a rejigging of IAS officers in Kerala, Ernakulam District Collector Dr Renu Raj was transferred and posted as the Collector of Wayanad district. The move comes after the High Court order expressing displeasure over the collector's absence to appear before the court during the hearing of a suo moto notice related to Brahmapuram waste plant fire in Kochi. 

As per the reshuffle, Thrissur, Wayanad, Alappuzha and Kozhikode districts are going to get new Collectors. 

According to a report on The News Minute, an order issued by General Administration said, Staff Officer to Chief Secretary Umesh N S K has been posted as District Collector of Ernakulam, Wayanad Collector Geetha has been transferred as Kozhikode district collector, Thrissur collector Haritha V Kumar has been transferred as the Alappuzha collector and Alappuzha district collector VRK Teja Mylavarapu has been transferred as the collector of Thrissur. 

Apart from this, Kerala State IT Mission Director Snehil Kumar Singh has been appointed as the staff officer to chief secretary. Mission Director of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Anu Kumari has been given full additional charge of Director Kerala State IT Mission. 

Thiruvananthapuram Sub Collector Aswathy Srinivas has been given the posting to hold full additional charge of District Development Commissioner Thiruvananthapuram. 

The reshuffle was necessitated after the Kerala High Court order on Tuesday. The Kerala High Court was hearing a suo moto writ petition in Brahmapuram fire accident and instead of Renu Raj, an official in charge of disaster management appeared before the court. The bench soon expressed displeasure over the failure of the collector to appear before the court. One of the judges asked whether the collect did not feel any discomfort after breathing polluted air. 

Later, the court sought a detailed report on solid waste management problems in Kochi, said a report on Mathrubhumi.