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Tamil Nadu
Secretariat - Brief History
Modern Tamil Nadu has emerged from Madras Presidency of the British administration. The
beginning of the English settlements in Chennai started with acquisition of lands in 1639
for construction of a fort in Madraspatnam. A year later, on 23 April 1640 foundation was
laid for a small fort later to become Fort St. George. In 1653, Fort St.George was made a
separate Presidency and a year later it became the headquarters of the English settlements
on the Coromandal coast, which later on, included areas from Northern Circars to Cape
(with the exception of certain French and Danish settlements).
At the time of Indian Independence on 15 August 1947, Madras State comprised of Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and some territorial areas of present Kerala. In 1953, however, the
Madras State bifurcated into two states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, comprising of Telugu
speaking areas and Madras State, comprising of Tamil speaking areas. The old capital city
of Madras was retained in the Madras State.
Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the Madras State was further divided into the
States of Kerala, Mysore and Madras. Later, on 1 April 1960, territories comprising of
Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh was transferred to Madras State in exchange of
territories from the Chingleput and Salem District. In August 1968, Madras State was
renamed as Tamil Nadu.
Growth of Madras Secretariat
The Tamil Nadu Secretariat started with the Public Department, which
was created in 1670. During that period, there was a provision of one Secretary in the
Public Department, who dealt with all the business of the Government. This Department was
also called the Chief Secretariat of the Madras Presidency.
During the French Wars and consequent alliance with the Nawab of Arcot, English East India
Company emerged as a political power in India and its territories were also extended.
Consequently, the administrative activities of various branches under the control of the
council (Government) also expanded, and new departments were created. Accordingly,
Military Department was established in 1752. The newly created Military Department
continued till 1895. Later, another Department called the Revenue Department was
established in 1774, and all the revenue matters were withdrawn from the Public Department
and entrusted to the Revenue Department. The system of two Secretaries came into existence
soon after the creation of Military Department. One Secretary was made responsible to deal
with the Military, Political and secret matters, While the other was associated with the
public and revenue matters. The arrangement continued till 1797.
In 1786, four Boards were constituted for the revenue administration, viz., the Board of
Revenue, the Board of Trade, the Military Board, the Hospital (Medical) Board, and the
Marine Board. Besides this arrangement, other subordinate Departments were also placed
under the control of these Boards.
In May 1796,a Secret Department was set up in the Secretariat and all the secret matters
were entrusted to it. In 1798, Judicial Department was also established.
In 1800, the constitution of the Secretariat was further modified with the creation of a
post of Chief Secretary and three posts of Secretaries. The charge of the Political and
Secret Departments was handed over to the Chief Secretary, While Military Department was
assigned to one Secretary. Commercial matters in the Public Department was entrusted to
another Secretary and the third Secretary was given the charge of the Revenue and Judicial
Department. An independent Political Department was also created in the Secretariat
in 1800. This Department was made responsible to deal with matters relating to political
nature.
During the period between 1811 to 1818, the following Departments were established to
transact the business in the Madras Secretariat.
(1) Finance (Financial) Department (1811)
(2) Commercial Department (1815)
(3) Law Department (1815)
(4) Foreign Department (1816)
(5) Ecclesiastical Department (1818)
In 1831, the Secretariat was recorganised once again. The Chief Secretary was given the
additional charge of Public Department which comprised of Financial, Law, Commercial,
Ecclesiastical and General Branches. Besides, the Secretaries were also made subordinate to the Chief Secretary. However, no change was
effected in the Departments allotted to them.
During the period 1838-1853, the following three new Departments were created in the
Secretariat to facilitate the work of administration.
(1) Marine Department (1838);
(2) Public Works Department (1843);
(3) Railway Department (1853).
In 1855, the functions of the Department of the Secretariat were further reorganised for
administrative convenience. As a result of this re-arrangement, the Political,
Judicial and Public Departments were placed under the immediate administrative charge of
the Chief Secretary. Similarly, the administrative of Revenue, Public Works and Roads
Departments was entrusted to the Revenue Secretary. The arrangement, however, continued
till 1857.
After 1857, when the entire administration of the Madras Presidency was transferred from
the East India Company to the direct control of the Crown in England the Madras
Secretariat underwent few change in its set up. The Chief Secretary was made in-charge of
Revenue, Financial, Political and Legislative Departments. The immediate control of the
Governor General of India.
In 1914, the following changes were effected to deal with the functions of Departments of
the Secretariat.
1. Some subjects allocated to Public Departments relating to Indian Civil Service and
'listed' appointments, the Government Press, the Madras Record Office, garrisons, movement
of troops, volunteers and the military staff of the His Excellency the Governor, and some
functions of Judicial Department relating to C.I.D. and the Press Act, were placed the
charge of the Chief Secretary to the Government.
2. All the municipal matters excluding the lunatics and lunatic asylums were entrusted to
the Revenue Secretary.
3. Medical matters connected with the lunatics and lunatic asylums were allocated to the
Judicial Secretary.
A revised nomenclature for the various Departments was adopted with effect from 1 August
1916, and the work re-allocation among the Secretaries followed. The Chief Secretary and
other Secretaries were made responsible to deal with the functions of the following
Departments.
1. Finance (Financial) Department: It comprised of Financial Pensions, and
separate Revenue Branches, and was entrusted to the Chief Secretary.
2. Public Department: It comprised of Public, Marine, Political, and
Ecclesiastical branches, and also placed under the charge of the Chief Secretary.
3. Revenue Department: It was put under the control of Revenue Secretary.
4. Local and Municipal Department: It comprised of Local, Municipal and
Plague.
Medical and Legislative Branches was placed under the control of the Secretary, Local and
Municipal Department.
5. Home Department: All the branches of the Home Department, viz., Judicial,
Education, and Miscellaneous, etc. Were allocated to the Secretary, Home Department.
6. Public Works Department: Administration of the Public Works Department was
entrusted to the Secretary and Joint Secretary of the Public Works Department,
respectively.
In 1918, Revenue (Special) Department was created within the Revenue Department to deal
with the functions of ship building in the Marine Fund accounts and, also the subjects
relating to Indian Defense Force (Indian Branch). However, subjects dealt within the
Marine Branch relating to ship building were transferred to the Secretary to Government,
Revenue (Special) Department. This Department continued till 1920.
The business of the Secretariat Departments was further revised with effect from 1 April
1921. Accordingly, the Political and Ecclesiastical branches of the Public Department were
made into separate Departments. As a result of this measure, a new Development Department
came into existence to deal with the following subjects: agriculture, co-operation, civil
supplies, factories, forests (including cinchona) industries, mines, trade and veterinary,
etc.
On the 1 July 1926, the distribution of work in various Departments of the Secretariat,
was revised again and the following arrangements were made for the sake of administrative
convenience:
1. Public, Judicial, Political and Ecclesiastical Departments continued to be under the
charge of the Chief Secretary.
2. Law and Education Departments were combined to function as a single Department under
the charge of a Secretary.
3. Irrigation and Railway Departments were merged with Public Works Department and Labour
Department and placed under the charge of a Secretary.
4. Similarly other Departments, viz., Finance, Development, Local self Government, etc.
continued to function under their respective secretaries.
On 1 April 1936, the Secretariat was re-organised comprising of the following nine
departments.
1. Public Department.
2. Home Department.
3. Finance Department.
4. Development Department.
5. Revenue Department.
6. Local self Government Department.
7. Education and Public Health Department.
8. Public Works Department.
9. Legal Department.
However, this re-organisation was effected from 1 August 1936 in the Secretariat
Departments.
In 1946, the Civil Supplies Branch of the Board of Revenue (which was created on 20 June
1786) was designated as a separate independent Department, viz., Food Department and all
related subjects were transferred to this new Department.
In 1949, functions relating to agriculture was transferred from Development Department to
the Food Department and the nomenclature was changed to that of Food and Agriculture
Department. Besides this, another Department called Agriculture (Food Production)
Department was also established in 1949
and it continued till 1956.
In 1953, with the formation of the Andhra Pradesh and the transfer of seven taluks as the
Bellary district to the Mysore State (now Karnataka), the Secretariat was re-organised
again. The nomenclature of the Legal Department was changed to Law Department in 1953. In
order to deal with the functions of the Government, the following nine Departments were in
existence in 1953.
1. Agriculture Department.
2. Finance Department.
3. Health, Education and Local Administration Department.
4. Home Department
5. Industries, Labour and Co-operation Department.
6. Law Department.
7. Public Department.
8. Public Works Department.
9. Revenue Department.
After 1953, some new Departments were established to deal with Government business. In
1960 the following eleven Departments were functioning in the Madras (Now Tamil
Nadu)
Secretariat.
1. Education Department.
2. Finance Department.
3. Food and Agriculture Department.
4. Home Department.
5. Industries Department.
6. Law Department.
7. Public Department.
8. Public Health Department.
9. Public Works Department.
10. Revenue Department.
11. Rural Development and Local Administration Department.
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